Five Trends for In-House Pro Bono in 2025

Alyssa Saunders, Director, Corporate Pro Bono

The 2024 Benchmarking Report by Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) highlighted several key trends shaping in-house pro bono programs. This report, based on legal departments’ responses to CPBO’s biennial survey, provides key insights into the structure and substance of in-house pro bono programs. Here are five trends that emerged in the report, that we expect will continue to shape pro bono in 2025.

  1. Increased Institutional Commitment

A rising percentage of legal departments that do pro bono are adopting formal pro bono policies. In 2024, 72% of respondents reported having a written pro bono policy, up from 66% in 2022. This formalization underscores a commitment to integrating pro bono work as a core value of corporate legal departments. Similarly, 100% of responding departments reported that participation in pro bono service is permitted during typical work hours, a key step toward making the program part of the daily work of the department.

  1. Inclusive Participation Across Legal Staff

Pro bono participation has expanded beyond attorneys to include paralegals and other professional staff. Notably, 100% of respondents in 2024 indicated that their pro bono programs are open to all legal department staff, reflecting a trend toward inclusivity and broader engagement. Involving paralegals and other professionals that report to the GC or CLO opens the door for innovative approaches to addressing unmet legal needs. Broad participation can amplify the impact of pro bono programs by leveraging the full capacity of legal departments.

  1. Professionalization of Pro Bono Program Management

There is a growing trend toward appointing dedicated personnel to manage pro bono initiatives. In 2024, 24% of legal departments reported having one or more full-time employees with responsibility for overseeing their pro bono programs. This data includes several attorneys and professional staff who have full-time responsibility for managing the program, as well as attorneys and professional staff who devote a percentage of their time to pro bono in addition to their business responsibilities. This shift indicates a move toward more structured and sustainable pro bono efforts. Importantly, the increase in professionalization has not detracted from engagement of volunteer pro bono leaders, with 90 percent of departments having a volunteer pro bono committee in 2024.

  1. Adoption of Hybrid and Remote Pro Bono Opportunities

The shift toward remote and hybrid work models has influenced pro bono participation. In 2024, 100% of respondents reported having hybrid pro bono programs, with a mix of remote and in-person pro bono work. By embracing hybrid work for pro bono, and engaging in remote pro bono activities, departments have demonstrated their adaptability in maintaining pro bono commitments despite changing work environments. These new models for pro bono work have expanded opportunities for participation, particularly for legal staff in geographically dispersed locations or with demanding schedules. This flexibility creates an opportunity to address a broader range of legal needs, transcending barriers of time and location.

  1. What Gets Measured, Gets Done

Legal departments are increasingly measuring their pro bono efforts, allowing them to share the impact. In 2024, 92% of departments reported that they track pro bono participation. A majority of departments are tracking both the participation rate of their legal staff and the number of pro bono hours. About half of departments are using matter tracking software to track their pro bono. Measuring impact allows pro bono program and department leaders to convey how they are furthering the company’s corporate social responsibility values, and to advancing access to justice in the community.

A Blueprint for Growth

Heading into 2025, Corporate Pro Bono is optimistic that these trends of growth, inclusivity, and innovation will continue. By embedding pro bono work into their operational frameworks and corporate missions, in-house teams can ensure their efforts are both impactful and enduring. Collaboration with legal aid and other partners, continued attention to program infrastructure, and a focus on meaningful impact will be key to driving the success and sustainability of in-house pro bono initiatives.

To learn more about in-house pro bono, review Corporate Pro Bono’s 2024 Benchmarking Report, check out more of our resources and reports here, and contact us at cpbo@probonoinst.org for technical assistance.

 

 

 

 

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