Connecting the pro bono community
i-Probono is a non-profit online network connecting organisations in need of legal
assistance with lawyers and students who want to use their legal skills for the
public good.
The network's global outreach enables people to engage in projects from around the
world and allows organisations to source assistance across jurisdictions.
This is the first website of its kind for the international pro bono community,
bringing people and projects together to give organisations the support they need
and volunteers the experience they want.
Individual experience, common good
Organisations working for the public good, such as charities, social enterprises,
NGOs and advocacy groups often need help with legal matters, but legal expertise
is an expensive resource that often requires pro bono assistance.
Students and graduates need work experience and want to contribute in a meaningful
way to a cause they believe in by applying their legal knowledge and research skills.
Lawyers and legal academics want to use their expertise to give something back and
to contribute their time to a cause that they believe in.
Creating the right connections
It can often be difficult and time-consuming to build the necessary relationships
to either offer or benefit from pro bono services.
This is where i-Probono comes in. Our unique database enables you to access our
wide membership network to find the right match for you. Whether you’re a lawyer
or student looking for pro bono work or an organisation with a specific project
in mind, on i-Probono you can find the right match for your needs.
The process is simple
Organisations, lawyers and students register on the site and create their profiles
Registered members can then post their projects
i-Probono searches the database to provide a list of suitable matches from the network
Once these matches are generated, members can choose to connect with each other
Measuring effectiveness
For i-Probono, once a match is made this is not the end of the process. Feedback
is vital and we want to make sure that a project is progressing smoothly.
During and after your project, i-Probono will contact all parties to ask them for
an update on the project's progress. If the parties choose, this feedback can be
shared between the project team and in the future it can be posted on your profile
page, enabling you to track the effectiveness of project matches and build a portfolio
of feedback.
Supporters & Partners
Field Fisher Waterhouse has supported i-Probono as part of its corporate social
responsibility programme from inception and nurtured it to launch. They committed
seed funding to begin development of the website and staff have volunteered from
across the firm to give vital legal and business services assistance. They continue
to be integral supporters, seconding full-time staff and providing all office space
and services.
Allen & Overy is a key sponsor of i-Probono. They have provided funding and
in-kind services to enable i-Probono to reach out more effectively to civil society
organisations and carry out consultations in the sector.
i-Probono partners are leaders in the pro bono community. Collectively, they have
over 30 years of experience providing key support to civil society organisations
around the world and facilitating lawyers who want to work for the public good.
When organisations post a project on i-Probono requiring specialist legal help,
i-Probono coordinates with its partners to find the best assistance from a network
of over 40,000 lawyers.
Advocates for International Development (A4ID)
A4ID is an international NGO that plays a strategic role in creating effective and
efficient solutions to eradicating global poverty by utilising the law and harnessing
the skills of the legal profession to meet development needs. A4ID inspires and
enables individual lawyers to play an active role in the fight against poverty and
ensures that legal support is available to organisations involved in international
development.
The Bar Pro Bono Unit
The Bar Pro Bono Unit matches barristers prepared to undertake pro-bono work with
those who need their help. It aims to assist those with meritorious cases who cannot
afford to pay for a barrister or are unable to obtain public funding for their services.
The Unit has a panel of more than 2000 members with over 250 QCs and works closely
in partnership with the voluntary sector and with other pro bono providers.
The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX)
ILEX is the professional body which represents 22,000 trainee and practising Legal
Executives and its Pro Bono Forum demonstrates and develops ILEX's commitment to
pro bono work. ILEX Pro Bono Forum works closely with the other legal pro bono providers
to co-ordinate and complement the many different pro bono projects which operate
both nationally and internationally.
LawWorks
LawWorks aims to provide free legal help to individuals and community groups in
the UK who cannot afford to pay for it and who are unable to access legal aid. They
work with around 100 law firms and in-house legal departments, as well as mediators,
law students and solicitors who have been made redundant, involving them all in
pro bono work.