UK Pro Bono Week is marking its 25th anniversary with a record increase in free legal assistance. Lawyers contributed 645,453 hours of pro bono work in 2025, a 1.29% rise from the previous year, according to the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono.
The annual event, established in 2002, runs from 2 to 6 November. It unites law firms, chambers, corporations, law schools, and charities across the UK to promote access to justice. UK attorney general Ellie Reeves KC gave a keynote address at the week’s official launch, hosted by TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s pro bono legal network.
Growth in Demand and Support
The rise in pro bono hours comes as demand for free legal help surges. Advocate, the Bar’s national pro bono charity in England and Wales, received 5,634 requests for assistance in 2025/26, a 35% increase from the previous period.
Requests for help with employment law have jumped 48% since 2021, while housing law cases have risen 21%. Advocate’s panel has expanded significantly, growing from 350 barristers in 1996 to more than 5,000 today.
A Call for Systemic Support
Despite the growth, legal leaders stress that pro bono is not a substitute for state-funded aid. Law Society president Brett Dixon noted that while pro bono contributions should be celebrated, they cannot replace a properly funded legal aid system.
Bar Council chair Kirsty Brimelow KC echoed this sentiment, stating: “Pro bono work is not a substitute for legal aid and should not act as a substitute for a properly funded justice system.”
Legal aid cuts, Covid-19 backlogs, and the cost-of-living crisis are driving more people toward charitable legal services. The society is also marking the 10th anniversary of its Pro Bono Charter, through which firms, in-house teams and others demonstrate their commitment to improving access to justice.
Corporate and Global Engagement
The corporate sector is increasingly involved. Legal heads at Lloyds Banking Group, Mondelez International, and Societe Generale recently signed the UK In House Pro Bono Pledge. The initiative now includes 25 companies, such as Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, and GSK.
Meanwhile, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader said it had become the first global law firm to embed a commitment to pro bono and wider citizenship in its constitution following its July merger. The firm’s citizenship policy encourages lawyers and business services colleagues to contribute at least 25 hours annually, noting HLC lawyers had generated more than 174,000 pro bono hours worldwide in 2025.
The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC, addressed the official launch, praising pro bono as a “lifeline when an everyday problem turns into a legal crisis.” She commended the lawyers who volunteer their time and expertise.
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