Department description
Over the past decade A&L Goodbody have played a leading role in the development of pro bono in Ireland. We were the first law firm to invest in a dedicated pro bono practice; last year delivering 14,000+ hours across 340 mandates.
A&L Goodbody’s pro bono practice is split into two main disciplines:
Advancing Social Enterprise and Civil Society – Our fee earners use their subject matter expertise and skills for the benefit of organisations working to advance social change and secure a more sustainable future.
Access to Justice and Rule of Law – We work in partnership with law centres and social justice organisations to address unmet legal need through direct legal representation for clients in areas of law such as housing, international protection, and family reunification. We work on legal research projects, advice-based work, and education to provide justice and a positive social impact through our pro bono partnerships.
Main duties and responsibilities
Screening opportunities offered through established brokers and escalating those with potential.
Supporting coordination and delivery of existing pro bono projects; including rota management.
Undertaking a pro bono case load under our Access to Justice and Rule of Law arm; including assisting with, and supervising, legal research, litigation, advice, and education.
Answering internal queries regarding pro bono activity, dealing with all initial interest, and recruiting volunteers to appropriate projects and programmes.
Assisting with monitoring and evaluation of pro bono projects; including data analysis.
Organising and attending pro bono client and sector events.
Maintaining good relationships with pro bono teams in other Irish and overseas law firms.
Working closely with the Head of Pro Bono and Head of Responsible Business on existing and future projects.
Reporting on progress of the pro bono programme to the firm’s partners and management team.
Increasing awareness of the pro bono practice internally and externally.
Skills and attributes
At least 1-2 year PQE.
An understanding of the legal needs of people who are disadvantaged and organisations who assist them.
Demonstrable ability to undertake excellent legal work.
Experience of working in a commercial law firm.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrable ability to work well in teams and take the initiative and work independently.
Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
Knowledge of refugee or housing law desirable.
Remuneration and benefits
The firm offers you the opportunity to advance your career and develop your expertise and become one of our renowned lawyers. We provide a supportive environment which encourages our people to achieve their ambitions. A&L Goodbody offers one of the most attractive salary and benefits packages available in the marketplace.
The Firm
A&L Goodbody has been ranked as a 'Top Tier' firm in The Legal 500 EMEA Guide for 2023. The firm is consistently ranked number one in the Irish market and also on a European level. A sample of other recent notable awards include: listed as one of Ireland's top 25 best places to work according to LinkedIn's Top Companies list for 2022; Irish Law Firm of the Year (2022) by Chambers Europe; Irish Law Firm of the Year (2021) by Who's Who Legal; Most Popular Graduate Recruiter in Law (2023) by GradIreland; Tier 1 in all 7 practice areas (2022) by Chambers Global; Band 1 in 11 practice areas (2022) by Chambers Europe; Outstanding Firm for Pro Bono (2021) by Chambers Europe; and Diversity & Inclusion Firm of the Year (2021) by EMEA Tax Awards.
A&L Goodbody has a reputation for leading the way in continuously developing its service to clients and internally to its business. This is delivered through the use of new processes, ways of working and technologies and marketing-leading business service teams.