Sarah Lahlou-Amine, Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project
As we approach 2025, we are thrilled to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® initiative! This milestone marks three decades of unwavering commitment by law firms to provide pro bono legal services to those in need.
Background on the Challenge
Launched in 1993, implemented in 1995, and administered by the Law Firm Pro Bono Project at PBI, the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative is a unique, aspirational standard developed by law firm leaders and corporate general counsel. The Challenge encourages major law firms to dedicate a significant portion of their resources to pro bono work, aiming to integrate pro bono into the very fabric of their practice and culture.
The Challenge has set a benchmark for law firms, urging them to contribute at least 3 or 5 percent of their total billable hours to pro bono work. This commitment has helped countless individuals and nonprofit organizations and has fostered a culture of giving back within the legal community. Read the statement signed by each of our Challenge Signatories here.
The Impactful Work of Challenge Signatories
We are grateful for the 30 years of dedication to pro bono service demonstrated by our Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Signatories. These firms have committed to contributing a percentage of their annual billable hours to pro bono service, providing critical legal assistance to low-income individuals and non-profit groups. Together, they have set a gold standard for the legal profession.
Signatories have worked on a wide range of matters, including those involving immigration, criminal justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, voting rights, and veterans’ rights, to name a few. They have assisted individual litigants with their cases, large groups through impact litigation, and non-profit organizations doing life-changing work in our communities. Their work has brought about profound change, providing access to justice for those who are otherwise unable to afford legal representation.
For more inspiring stories and examples of the incredible work done by our Signatories, check out our Signatory Showcase Series. This series spotlights some of the amazing work Signatories have done to serve those in need.
Highlights from the 2024 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Initiative
This past year, Challenge Signatories surpassed a significant milestone, contributing over 100 million hours of pro bono service over the life of the Challenge! In a post-pandemic landscape in which multiple pro bono metrics have been waning for the past several years as firms adjust and rebuild pro bono engagement, we saw several upticks that provide great hope for forward momentum as we head into our 30th anniversary year:
- Challenge signatory firms devoted 3.76% of their total billable hours to pro bono – a slight increase from 3.47% in 2022.
- Firm lawyers spent an average of 54.7 hours each on pro bono matters in 2023, compared to 52.6 hours in 2022.
- About 73.3% of attorneys worked on pro bono matters in 2023, up slightly from 73.1% in 2022.
- Pro bono hours for those of limited means represented 74 percent of all pro bono hours for firms reporting on these hours, slightly higher than 73.3% in 2022.
Looking Ahead: The 2025 Challenge Survey
Surveys for the 2025 reporting cycle, which will cover law firm pro bono data from 2024, are coming soon. PBI encourages all Challenge Signatories to fulfill their commitment to participate by responding to the surveys and to continue their outstanding work in providing pro bono legal services.
The data collected from these surveys by the Law Firm Pro Bono Project is crucial for understanding the impact of pro bono work, identifying areas for improvement, and developing strategies for increased engagement and effectiveness in the delivery and impact of pro bono services. As we chart our future together in a quickly evolving legal landscape, your responses provide the pro bono community with data informing valuable insights into the challenges and successes of pro bono initiatives.
Join Us!
To our Challenge signatories, please join us in celebrating your accomplishments and continued commitment to access to justice as we close out three decades of outstanding pro bono service! To those who have not yet joined us as Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge signatories, we invite you to make the Challenge a part of your pro bono journey by signing the Statement of Principles. The Challenge is open to all firms with 50 or more lawyers. The data that Signatories provide when responding to the Challenge Survey each year is confidentially maintained by the Law Firm Pro Bono Project, and there is no cost to participate. Make this powerful commitment to your firm’s pro bono program today!
For existing Challenge signatories and firms that would like more information, the PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Project staff is here to help. From assisting with inquiries regarding what counts as pro bono for purposes of the Challenge, to offering valuable continuing legal education programming at our Annual Conference, we are here to support and share your impactful work. For those interested in additional evidence-based resources, our Law Firm Pro Bono Project membership offers customized tools and consultative services to help you shape and grow the impact of your firm’s pro bono program.
As we launch the 30th anniversary of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative, we invite you to share your stories and experiences with the Challenge and pro bono service over the years. Whether it’s a memorable case, a successful project, or a personal reflection, please send your thoughts to lawfirm@probonoinst.org or tag us on LinkedIn with the hashtag #LFProBonoChallenge30. Stay tuned for more updates as we proudly celebrate three decades of impact, and thank you for your unwavering commitment to pro bono service!