Law Firm Pro Bono
Pro Bono Law Ontario works with Ontario's law firms to help them engage in the process of creating pro bono policies. PBLO also helps law firms develop targeted community projects.
Law Firm Pro Bono Policies
The development of pro bono policies for law firms has been one of PBLO's most important accomplishments. In many cases, it takes 18 months to two years for firms to develop and adopt these policies. Many of the larger firms expand these policies nationally.
Pro bono policies are a relatively new development in the Canadian pro bono landscape and are significant because these policies:
- count pro bono time as billable time which signifies the commitment to pro bono work by these firms, encourages all staff to participate, and ensures that both fee-paying clients and pro bono clients receive consistent service;
- institutionalize pro bono participation as part of a firm's day-to-day culture; and
- transform pro bono ad hoc delivery to organized delivery, which in turn enables firms to make better use of their resources and serve more clients.
The following law firms have developed, or are in the process of developing, pro bono policies:
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP
Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
Lerners LLP
McCarthy Tetrault LLP
McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP
Miller Thomson LLP
Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Torkin Manes Cohen Arbus LLP
Torys LLP
WeirFoulds LLP
Law Firm Pro Bono Projects
PBLO has successfully brokered a number of innovative law firm pro bono projects. Community organizations approach PBLO for help (or vice versa) and then PBLO matches up these partners with an interested law firm partner, resulting in exciting opportunities for solicitors and litigators. Through these partnerships, firms can bring the full range of their resources and expertise to the assistance of its client organizations. Partnerships provide a unique opportunity for firms to develop relationships with organizations that help low income and disadvantaged communities and assist in community economic development.
At the development stage for these partnerships, PBLO facilitates a meeting between the organization and the firm to clearly delineate the parameters and expectations of the pro bono relationships, including best practices and memorandums of understanding. In the past three years, PBLO has brokered over 20 partnerships between charitable organizations and law firms.
Visit the Pro Bono Directory for a list of current law firm projects.
Developing a law firm pro bono project:
There are a number of ways that pro bono programs can be developed for a law firm:
- Pro bono partnership with a legal aid or specialty clinic
- Pro bono partnership with a community service group (such as domestic violence groups, special needs children, civil rights groups)
- Solicitor partnership project with a charitable organization
- Barrister partnership project with existing PBLO projects (Child Advocacy Project, Appeals Assistance Project)
- Summary advice clinics (artists groups, ethnic community groups)
- Rotation/secondment arrangements
Implementing a law firm pro bono project:
To develop a law firm pro bono project for your firm, these are the suggested steps to take:
1. Develop a written pro bono policy.
2. Commit to a leadership pledge (eg. partners commit to 25 hours of pro bono service per year).
3. Establish a Pro Bono Committee.
4. Work with PBLO to identify a project for the firm and work out specific details.
5. Promote the new initiative to your staff.
6. Make use of PBLO's online resources and coordination support.
