Lawyers in society

Solicitors are using objectivity and common sense in doing charity and pro bono work across a spectrum of Society, says David McIntosh.

In my speech to the Solicitors Annual Conference in Birmingham, I said it is my belief that, with the exceptions of the clergy and doctors, no other profession does more good for society than we 104,000 solicitors.One or two people greeted these comments with scepticism.

They questioned how I could refer to the work of City firms in the same breath as talking about doctors and priests.

By way of answer, I think it is important to consider the full range of activities that solicitors undertake, including publicly funded, pro bono and non-legal charitable work.There is an enormous commitment from solicitors to publicly funded work.

In every high street - and many inner-city back streets - there are firms providing legal advice for little reward to people who would otherwise be denied access to justice.

These firms perform a vital role in upholding civil liberties and the rule of law and deal on a daily basis with issues that arise out of social exclusion.

Struggling themselves to keep going financially, they could not possibly afford to do more.Other firms contribute to society by offering legal advice free of charge.

The Law Society's strategic research unit investigated pro bono work as part of its omnibus survey in 1997 and found that almost 90% of firms engaged in some form of pro bono activity.

Such work is not confined to a particular sector of the profession but is carried out by solicitors at different stages of their careers and in different types of practice.A number of solicitors' groups are active in this field.

Excellent work has been done by the Solicitors Pro Bono Group, an independent charity with a mission to support, promote and encourage commitment to pro bono across the solicitors' profession in England and Wales.The Law Society's Young Solicitors Group recognises the pro bono achievements of solicitors at the beginning of their careers through its annual awards run with the Gazette.Other solicitors have become involved in ProHelp, a national network of professional firms which give their time and expertise free to help voluntary and community groups.The phrase 'pro bono' tends to be associated with the provision of legal advice to the disadvantaged, but many solicitors use their legal skills in a whole range of charitable work.The groups concerned particularly value the contribution of solicitors - partly because it gives access to free legal advice, but at least as much because of the value they get from the integrity, objectivity and sound judgement which is a hallmark of our profession.

Many solicitors act as school governors, committing their talents to the service of their school and ensuring the children in their schools have the best education possible.

The skills that lawyers have enable them to make a valuable contribution.

They bring a clear mind when looking at problems and taking in detail, while still keeping in mind the main picture.Lawyers are also well represented among the ranks of charity trustees.

They are particularly sought-after because of the generic skills they offer: the ability to provide an objective view, a common-sense approach to solving problems, and the ability to analyse the underlying causes of problems.The contributions made by solicitors in this role depend very much on the requirements of the specific charity.

In some cases, their assistance may focus on policy formulation and strategy, while in smaller organisations they often perform a hands-on, implementation role.

In some situations, a specialist knowledge of the law is useful - for example, when a mental health charity seeks to appoint a mental health lawyer to its board.The Liberty/Justice Human Rights Awards - also sponsored by the Gazette - were a powerful reminder of the extent to which solicitors are helping society both at home and overseas.

The awards highlighted the work of solicitors who had made a contribution to race equality, brought access to justice to injured workers, supported prisoners abroad, empowered women, and protected minority cultures.

The Peter Duffy Award went to a trainee solicitor who played a significant role in highlighting civil, political and human rights violations of prisoners abroad.

His work led to a change in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's policy regarding support for clemency pleas of Britons imprisoned overseas.It is often in less developed countries that the life-enhancing nature of solicitors' work is thrown into sharpest relief.

Gary Haugen, founder of the International Justice Mission and officer in charge of the UN genocide investigation in Rwanda, spoke at a conference of UK lawyers last year.

He focused on the fact that lawyers, rather than doctors or aid workers, have travelled to oppressive regimes and set individuals free.

The ability to scrutinise law, identify abuses of that law, and put evidence before the appropriate authority has, for example, freed a child who has been illegally sold into bonded labour.Legal Task Force Africa, set up by the Lawyers Christian Fellowship, shows - through its work with African lawyers, and community building projects - how vital, in human terms, the law and the legal profession are.Of course, I do not rate providing legal services above the provision of the basic necessities of life - but solicitors are often there to be counted on when voluntary aid is being given.David McIntosh is the Law Society President