“Pro bono” work is legal advice and representation provided free of charge, for clients of limited financial means, in the public interest. Clients can be individuals or groups – for example community campaign or interest groups.
Our members regularly accept pro bono instructions, usually through other organisations like Advocate, the Environmental Law Foundation, and Planning Aid, in all areas of chambers’ work but particularly Public and Administrative Law, Planning, and Environment.
For example, Grace Cullen is an honorary legal assistant providing regular advice and drafting for clients at Citizen’s Advice. Nicholas Ostrowski has successfully represented an asylum-seeker in judicial review proceedings, a local authority tenant in a dispute about water charges (securing a pro bono costs order for several thousand pounds), and has also advised an environmental water charity on changes to the Environment Bill as it travelled through Parliament, to protect watercourses from discharges from combined sewer overflows. Noémi Byrd and James Harrison have also worked pro bono in environmental cases, on planning judicial review and noise nuisance respectively.
If you would like to know more about our pro bono work please do get in touch.