ABSTRACT

Pro bono is seen as an important aspect of the working lives of many legal professionals. The withdrawal of legal aid for most civil law claims has led to a greater need for pro bono legal services. This article describes and analyses the findings of an empirical study with solicitors to explore their views on pro bono. It seeks to understand perceptions of pro bono work and examine the reasons why individuals choose to give their time for free to help those who have unmet legal needs. Following an analysis of interview data, this article argues there is a significant commitment to pro bono within the legal profession, but there tensions associated with the delivery of pro bono legal services. This study builds on the work of academics in the US and Australia to add to the literature on our understanding of pro bono within the context of England and Wales.

摘要

公益被视为许多法律专业人士工作生活的一个重要方面。大多数民法索赔的法律援助的撤销导致了对无偿法律服务的更大需求。本文描述和分析了一项与律师进行的实证研究的结果，以探讨他们对公益的看法。它试图了解对无偿工作的看法，并研究个人选择免费提供时间来帮助那些法律需求未得到满足的人的原因。在对访谈数据进行分析之后，本文认为法律行业内对无偿服务有重大承诺，但在提供无偿法律服务方面存在紧张关系。