A decade of pro bono: Our 2024 Index of Pro Bono findings revealed

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February updateWelcome to the Thomson Reuters Foundation's monthly newsletter! A decade of pro bono: 2024 Index of Pro Bono findings revealed

Our Index of Pro Bono [[link removed]] is the only global survey benchmarking the amount of pro bono practised by law firms around the world.

Marking its 10th anniversary this month, the 2024 Index compiles information received from 209 law firms representing nearly 100,000 lawyers.

It provides a unique opportunity to look back over a decade of evolving global pro bono trends, and demonstrates the value of pro bono to those who receive it, and to the lawyers and law firms that implement it.

This year's Index reveals that:

1. After reaching a peak in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a massive demand for legal assistance, there are signs that pro bono hours may be plateauing across much of the world.

For a deeper analysis of why this is happening, read the Financial Times interview with Carolina Henriquez-Schmitz, Director of TrustLaw [[link removed]].

2. Despite this, the analysis shows that pro bono is more than just altruism, it’s good for business.

Over the past 10 years, the percentage of firms that are using pro bono as a key tool for staff retention has risen by 104% [[link removed]], and those using it for training and skills development in their teams by 62%.

3. Firms with dedicated pro bono infrastructure perform more hours

Over the course of a year, lawyers at firms with dedicated pro bono employees, committees, or policies performed 61% more pro bono hours than those without [[link removed]].

Read this year's Index findings in full [[link removed]] Enabling Access to the Law

Since 2014, nearly 8 million Venezuelans have been displaced as a result of political repression and economic hardship, making this one of the largest displacement crises in the world.

Through TrustLaw - our global pro bono legal network - we connected the human rights organisation, Promedehum, with legal experts to develop a simple guide for Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers relocating to Argentina [[link removed]]*.

This resource explores migration and refugee regulations and provides accessible guidelines for Venezuelans in Argentina.

Read the full guide [[link removed]]

*This guide is only available in Spanish.

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Take our survey now [[link removed]] Discover more in our focus areas:

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This month we recommend

READ: Voices from the frontline: A day in the life of an Editor in Ukraine | Thomson Reuters Foundation [[link removed]]

READ: 2024 is deadliest year for journalists in CPJ history | Committee to Protect Journalists [[link removed]]

READ: In Data: Why is Asia-Pacific a hot spot for migrant worker abuses? | Context [[link removed]]

READ: American Bar Association says rule of law is under 'attack' | Reuters [[link removed]]

Opportunities:

Financial Accountant [[link removed]]

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