Pro Bono

Pro Bono Publico means "For the Public Good". The term often refers to lawyers working for free for clients who would otherwise not be able to afford their services, but it also encompasses a wide range of voluntary projects where the law is used as an instrument for social change.

The UCL Law Society Pro Bono Officer has historically run a mixture of fundraising events as well as events on pro bono in a commercial law context. As such, they foster close collaborations with law firms and commercial law organisations, encouraging students interested in commercial law to engage with their pro bono programmes as an integral part of their careers.  

Critically, the Pro Bono Officer also collaborates closely with the UCL Centre for Access to Justice (CAJ) and the UCL Student Pro Bono Committee (SPBC) to encourage UCL Law Students to engage with the Faculty's wide-ranging pro bono programme, outside of commercial law.  As a part of the Student Pro Bono Committee, the Pro Bono Officer facilitates collaboration between both the Law Society and the Student Pro Bono Committee. 

The UCL Centre for Access to Justice (CAJ) provides Faculty-level oversight and management of the UCL Laws Pro Bono Programme. Through the Centre’s Pro Bono Programme, students are placed in legal organisations across London to undertake a broad range of pro bono work. The goal of the Centre's Programme is to encourage students’ professional development and develop their understanding of broader social issues while meeting community needs. If you would like to learn more about pro bono at UCL Laws, please visit the CAJ website.

The UCL Pro Bono Student Committee is made up of a group of UCL Laws students recruited by the Centre For Access to Justice. Their goal is to raise the profile of pro bono activities at UCL Laws and foster a vibrant community of socially engaged law students. More information can be found on the UCL SPBC Website.