Solicitors toured the country in a specially designed double-decker bus this week to promote pro bono work to the profession and the public as part of National Pro Bono Week.

The bus will provide training sessions, presentations and legal-advice clinics in London, Bolton, Bournemouth, Warwick, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The bus tour is among 31 events organised by the Law Society, the Bar Council, the Institute of Legal Executives, the Solicitors Pro Bono Group and the Bar Pro Bono Unit to raise funds for, and increase awareness of, pro bono work.

Michael Napier, the Attorney-General's pro bono envoy, said: 'We want to get lawyers interested who are not involved at the moment.

The ethos of pro bono work is at the root of ethics and professionalism.

This is also a golden opportunity for sending the message to the public that lawyers are not in it just for the money.'

Meanwhile, 12 lawyers at City firm Linklaters won the award for best pro bono team this week at the Young Solicitors Group pro bono awards, for their work with Hackney Community Law Centre.

In the large-firms category, Clare Norriss, an assistant at Beachcroft Wansbroughs, clinched the award for best pro bono solicitor for her contributions to Wandsworth & Merton Law Centre, its Putney surgery and Tooting advice surgery.

Further winners were Martin Hyde at the City firm Travers Smith Braithwaite, in the category for medium-sized firms, and Lorna Rimell from Belshaw Curtin, a small firm in London.

Regional awards went to Sara Stabler at Taylor Vinters in Cambridge, Gemma Garner at Norton Rose in the City, Helen Chung in Irwin Mitchell's Sheffield office and Graeme Chisholm of Thring Townsend in the south-west.

See Editorial,[2004], Gazette, 10 June,14.

Rachel Rothwell