PILnet, the global public interest law network, held its eighth European Pro Bono Forum from 5 - 7 November. The Forum has played a major role in building support for pro bono across the continent and around the globe. The Forum brings together leading figures from law firms, corporations, bar organisations, NGOs and law schools. PILA has attended the event over the past number of years and once again it proved itself as a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from other jurisdictions engaging in pro bono.
According to PILnet founder, Ed Rekosh, “the Forum is an opportunity to re-think pro bono’s place within the panoply of legal solutions to our most pressing societal challenges”. Indeed, in light of the recent cuts to the UK legal aid system, the conference was a timely reminder of the importance of pro bono in meeting the unmet legal needs of both individuals and non-governmental organisations outside of the legal aid system.
Prior to the opening of the forum, PILNet facilitated a gathering of ‘clearinghouses’ from around the world. This all-day workshop served as a helpful knowledge exchange for organisations such as PILA that leverage pro bono legal services for those who need it most. Clearinghouse representatives shared their experiences on how to best engage parties at both ends of the pro bono spectrum and shared valuable insights on successful pro bono projects undertaken in jurisdictions including Slovakia, Nigeria and South Africa. Those in attendance also benefited from a media workshop highlighting the need to promote the success stories of pro bono clearinghouses and the impact on those people in receipt of those services.
The opening of the Forum saw a busy schedule of varied plenary and breakout sessions. A workshop on ‘Meeting Need, Maximising Impact’ explored how pro bono can be targeted at ‘legal advice deserts’, a term used to describe areas of legal need largely neglected by conventional practice. Panellist, Sinead Mulhern of the Law Centre (NI), gave an overview of their Legal Support Project, which was established to tackle the lack of legal representation for persons engaging with the Northern Ireland Employment Appeals Tribunal. At the centre of this project is a panel of pro bono practitioners that offer comprehensive legal advice to those who are pursuing or considering a case before the Tribunal.
In discussing ‘How To Do High-Impact Pro Bono for NGOs’ panellist David Hawkins of The PILS Project in Northern Ireland examined the impact pro bono can have for an NGO in terms of strategic litigation and input into advocacy methods. David outlined The PILS Project’s financial and legal support for public interest litigation, with one of its central aims being to enhance communication and coordination between NGOs on the use of public interest litigation; a central role of any clearinghouse.
There was a nod to the good work of the Irish pro bono community again in 2014, with the Bar Council’s Voluntary Assistance Scheme (VAS) among the shortlisted candidates for PILnet's 2014 European Award for Exemplary Partnership in the Public Interest. PILnet acknowledged the all-female team of barristers who assessed the needs of Magdalene laundry survivors in the largest pro bono project ever conducted by VAS. On a similar theme Maeve O’Rourke, legal advisor to Justice for Magdalenes, spoke to the Forum on how to engage young lawyers in pro bono. Since her time as a student at Harvard Law School in 2010, Maeve has been providing pro bono assistance to the group, including highlighting the case of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries’ abuse before the Irish Human Rights Commission, the U.N. Committee against Torture and the U.N. Human Rights Council. Maeve encouraged those young lawyers and law students in attendance to take those first pro bono steps to engage with a cause they are passionate about.
PILA was energised by the growing pro bono culture that is taking hold across European jurisdictions and this will certainly inform our work going forward. PILA continues to grow its pro bono register and would encourage you to get involved, if not already! Further information can be accessed by contacting our legal officer Eithne Lynch at eithne.lynch@flac.ie.