The third national pro bono week is just round the corner - and a special bus is being prepared to promote the theme.

Chris Baker talks to leading lawyers about the significance of the event and looks at the work of the Law Society charity

Most lawyers do it, but not many people know about it.

The concept that even the most pin-striped City lawyer will offer their services pro bono is not one usually used in portrayals of the profession.

But there are moves to combat this lack of awareness.

Now in its third year, National Pro Bono Week will run from 7-11 June and features a wide range of events all over England and Wales to remind both public and practitioners that pro bono does what it says in translation.

This year a special 'pro bono bus' will travel between events, promoting the theme that more people should 'get on board'.

The specially designed double-decker bus is visiting London, Bournemouth, Warwick, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bolton and Newcastle to encourage lawyers to discover the benefits of pro bono work.

Lawyers will be offered training, while in some locations free legal advice clinics will be held.

The organisers - the Law Society, Bar Council, Institute of Legal Executives, Solicitors Pro Bono Group (SPBG) and Bar Pro Bono Unit - claim this is the first time a bus has been used to recruit lawyers to voluntary work.

'It's a coming together of all the pro bono groups to recognise the good work that's going on and recruit new people into it,' says SPBG chief executive Sue Bucknall.

'We have the [SPBG] awards as well, so the idea is to recognise, reward and recruit.'

Former Law Society President Michael Napier, senior partner of national firm Irwin Mitchell and the Attorney-General's pro bono envoy, agrees.

'It's a showcase that provides a reminder to the public of the vast amount of free legal help that is being given up and down the country to people who cannot afford to pay for legal advice,' he says.

Some 38 events are taking place across the country.

These include mock trials in Birmingham, exhibitions and recruitment events, free legal advice sessions for the public and charities, and the opening of a free advice clinic in the Wai Yin Chinese Women's Centre in Manchester.

Business leaders will sing pro bono's praises at a variety of locations.

'As part of its national tour, the bus is visiting the law schools at Warwick and Northumbria universities to emphasise the benefits of pro bono opportunities for law students,' Mr Napier adds.

Ms Bucknall adds: 'A typical event will involve groups coming together to show what they're doing, to launch something and then to encourage more people to come along.' She points to an event in London's Guildhall on 7 June, when the SPBG and National Council for Voluntary Organisations will launch a publicity campaign, including a series of leaflets containing basic legal advice that will also go on the council's Web site.

'We are showing that the legal profession and voluntary sector can work together,' Ms Bucknall explains.

The Young Solicitors Group will hold its sixth annual awards ceremony for pro bono work.

This year, the categories have been expanded to include English regional awards and a national Welsh award.

The categories range from small firms to those with more than 200 fee-earners, and in-house solicitors.

There is also the Wig and Pen Prize for young solicitors working in the City, Westminster and Holborn areas in London.

And there are the SPBG's own pro bono awards.

The shortlist for firms has been announced (above right), but there will also be an award for individual lawyers' contribution to pro bono work.

It is the second year of the awards.

In 2003, US/UK firm Dechert won one of the awards.

Pro bono partner Suzanne Turner says: 'We do about 36,000 hours of pro bono legal work across 17 offices.

It varies from small cases for people who cannot afford legal services to handling class actions that might affect policy.'

Ms Bucknall argues that lawyers have a social responsibility to offer their services to people less fortunate than themselves.

'[Lawyers] have had very privileged educations, tend to have very good salaries and they want to give something back to society,' she explains.

'They can use their legal talents to help people who are less fortunate than themselves.'

Ms Bucknall points to a 'huge unmet need' among community groups and the voluntary sector.

'We are seeing what the government admits are advice deserts, where people who could once get public funding no longer can do so,' she says.

Mr Napier adds: 'Being involved in pro bono work is a win-win situation for the lawyer and the people on the receiving end of the legal advice.

While there is a better understanding of the importance of pro bono work these days, National Pro Bono Week helps remind us that there is a lot of unmet legal need that does require the help of lawyers as part of their commitment to the community in a socially responsible way.'

But he also emphasises that pro bono should be seen as 'an adjunct to, not a substitute for, legal aid'.

The SPBG recognises the public relations benefits of pro bono work.

'Of course there is a question of limited altruism here,' Ms Bucknall admits.

'There are lots of reasons for pro bono; it works at all levels.'

Students who have done pro bono work want jobs at firms that offer the service and lawyers want to work for the community, she contends.

'Some of the larger firms do it for recruitment and retention reasons; there are reputational reasons and some firms have admitted to me that they do it because their clients insist on it,' she says.

'It's good for general business and firms in the pro bono field are regarded as more ethical - it helps to move away from the sense of "Enronitis".

It would be very unusual for a fraudulent law firm to give pro bono advice.'

But Ms Turner feels offering free advice to those who otherwise could not afford it should be an obligatory part of the job, and that Dechert is committed to the social service, not the public relations.

'Lawyers have a monopoly on providing legal services - there are many aspects where a non-lawyer cannot operate in this field,' she says.

'Arguably, pro bono work is one of the obligations that come from that benefit.

PR might be something that comes with it, but it's certainly not our decided intention - we see it as part of our obligation.'

And while it might be argued that the legal profession is the only one that offers its services for free, Ms Bucknall disagrees.

'Some people travel abroad and help out in the Third World as part of their training,' she says.

'I wouldn't say other professions don't do it.'

The argument that lawyers should not feel obliged to work for free because their counterparts in other professions do not has arisen because lawyers are better at pro bono services, she says.

'It's a general perception here and in the US that lawyers are the leading force in pro bono,' she says.

'Other professions look to lawyers as the leaders in this area.'

Chris Baker is a freelance journalist

Solicitors Pro Bono Group awards 2004 - the shortlist

Firms with more than 100 fee-earners:

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Linklaters

Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw

Firms with fewer than 100 fee-earners:

Covington & Burling

Faegre Benson Hobson Audley

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker

Firms with their main UK office not in London:

Robert Muckle (Newcastle)

Wragge & Co (Birmingham)

In-house legal department:

Lloyds

Vodafone

Who's doing what

In addition to the pro bono bus, some law firms are holding free advice clinics, such as Vanderpump & Sykes in Enfield, north London, Latimer Hinks in Stockton-on-Tees and Atteys in south Yorkshire, while Northampton Law Society is involved in a joint advice surgery being held with other advice agencies and local MP Sally Keeble.

There are also several events targeted at lawyers, including two 'Seeing is believing' tours with Business in the Community in Leeds (7 June) and Birmingham (8 June), in which lawyers will be able to see first-hand how they can become involved in tackling some of the UK's most pressing social problems.

There will be an exhibition for lawyers and voluntary groups in Bristol (8 June), a talk by leading anti-death penalty campaigner and Guantanamo lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith in London (8 June), as well as receptions for lawyers and voluntary organisations in London (8 June), Birmingham (9 June), Leicester (9 June), Swansea (10 June) and Bristol (10 June).

The week rounds out on 11 June with several events in Manchester, including a lunch for lawyers and voluntary organisations.

For the full programme of National Pro Bono Week, including times and venues of the above events, see www.probonouk.net; contact Claire McKendrick, tel: 020 7320 5963; or e-mail probonoweek@lawsociety.org.uk.