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With my Chair of the Small Firms Division Committee hat on (thus through the Committee representing the views of smaller firm practitioners to Chancery Lane's decision makers) and as a champion of small firms I would observe that this represents the failure successive reforms as well as the unseen positive contribution of law firms to their communities.

Individual, dedicated practitioners are picking up the slack as the system starts to fail after legal aid changes, LASPO funding reforms and the recession.

Pro-Bono is noble in its aims but it does not replace all that has been lost due to the changes imposed on law firms and economic pressures.

Pro-Bono does not contribute towards a firms PII costs, wages, PAYE/NI, VAT.

We should celebrate that small firms contribute significantly to helping those who can not otherwise access professional advice but we need to challenge the Government to ensure that Pro-Bono is not used to try and paper over the crumbling walls in key legal areas (crime, family, civil etc.).