For the good of all

The first-ever national pro bono week in June will put the spotlight on this vital work - and offer more solicitors an opportunity to try it.

The Law Society is teaming up with the Solicitors Pro Bono Group to run the first-ever National Pro Bono Week in June.The aim of this campaign is two-fold: firstly, to focus a much-deserved spotlight on the vast amount of pro bono work that is done by solicitors week in, week out, up and down the country; and secondly, to offer solicitors who are interested in doing pro bono work, but who have not yet become involved, an opportunity to work alongside one of the regular volunteers on a pro bono project during the week.National Pro bono Week is timed to coincide with Volunteers Week 2002 when the media spotlight will be on the enormous value of volunteer effort.

The Law Society and the Solicitors Pro Bono Group believe strongly that solicitors' pro bono efforts should be highlighted and celebrated as part of this.The campaign will be launched in London with a major exhibition of pro bono projects at the Law Society's headquarters in Chancery Lane, and will be followed through the week with a series of regional events with the active involvement of the Society's regional offices and local pro bono projects.A growing number of solicitors are doing regular pro bono work, says the Solicitors Pro Bono Group.The Young Solicitors Group, supported by the Law Society, runs an annual pro bono awards and each year - the awards are now in their fourth year and are sponsored by the Gazette - fresh evidence emerges of a dedicated, expanding corps of lawyers nationwide.The range of pro bono activity is huge.

Take, for example, the variety of work done by the winners of the YSG/Gazette awards in 2001, all of whom combine busy working lives with the most impressive volunteering effort.There was Amjad Malik of Manchester firm Bhatti Solicitors, who has a long record of pro bono work in immigration and in advising women fleeing domestic violence; Hilary Ford, a busy litigator at City firm Lovells, undertook specialist training as a special educational needs tribunal advisor to enable her to volunteer for the Independent Panel For Special Education Advice; Lawrie Simanowitz of London firm Bates Wells & Braithwaite who attends the South Westminster Legal Advice Centre for a three to five-hour session at least once a week.In the regional award category there was Asama Javed of Bradford firm McManus Seddon, who not only uses her legal skills but her extensive Asian language skills to help a range of projects including those dedicated to the rights of women; Naim Qureshi of KE Davies in Middlesex who has a record of extensive pro bono work, including helping parents trace abducted children; Alasdair Outhwaite of Manchester firm Addleshaw Booth & Co who volunteers at Manchester University's Legal Advice Centre where carefully supervised law students advise members of the local community; and Kate Emore of Wembley firm Patterson Sebastian & Co who works free for Greenwich Housing Rights in south-east London and also advises tenants through Woolwich County Court's duty representation scheme.Much pro bono effort also depends on dedicated rota teams within firms and last year the award in this category went to the team at City firm Ashurst Morris Crisp, whose efficiently managed rotas of four volunteers a week succeeded in securing the continuity of Toynbee Hall in east London - one of the oldest and busiest advice centres in the country.These volunteers are an inspiration to all lawyers and for those who are anxious to become similarly involved there is guidance available.

For example, the Solicitors Pro Bono Group has recently devised programmes to make it easier for lawyers to do pro bono work by taking away much of the administrative burden.

These include LawWorks, LawWorks for Community Groups, LawWorks Web, LawWorks Mediation and LawWorks Students projects.To help with the planning of National Pro Bono Week the Law Society and the SPBG are asking all solicitors to complete the questionnaire opposite.

Ideally, we wish to hear from every solicitor individually, however, if you are a pro bono co-ordinator and are willing to reply on behalf of your firm then please contact the SPBG for a special form.Every returned questionnaire will be put into a draw and cash prizes awarded to the community groups that you help or the charities of your choice.

In addition, every individual reply received will entitle that individual to a free year's e-mail membership of the SPBG.

If you wish to remain anonymous then please do so.

Your information will still be added to the total figures.

However, as the aim of National Pro Bono Week is to showcase the pro bono work of all solicitors from all over the country, we would be grateful if you would be willing to share your experiences with others.We also hope that you will be willing to allow a fellow lawyer to attend one of your pro bono activities with you during or around National Pro Bono Week to share best-practice tips and to encourage others to volunteer.The questionnaire can be photocopied and mailed or faxed to the SPBG (see opposite).

It can also be completed on-line at the SPBG Web site.

LINKS: www.probono group.org.uk/SPBG/ formques.htm to fill in the pro bono questionnaire on-line