5 Takeaways from the PBI 2025 Annual Conference

Earlier this year Pro Bono Institute (PBI) hosted its Annual Conference, bringing together pro bono leaders from law firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations to explore innovative strategies for expanding access to justice. From plenaries to candid discussions, the Conference was a dynamic space for reigniting our collective commitment to justice and preparing for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Throughout the Conference, several key themes emerged across sessions and tracks. Here are five takeaways, and corresponding session recordings, from the 2025 Conference critical to pro bono and access to justice over the next year:

1. Pro Bono is Evolving

For the second year, PBI featured Pre-Conference programming focused on generative AI and other emerging technologies as tools to scale pro bono efforts as well as how to responsibly implement them. Several sessions, such as Transforming Pro Bono and Expanding Access to Justice with AI, during the main Conference also explored AI and showcased real-world examples of their use. As the need for legal services continues to grow, the message is clear: pro bono innovation is a necessity.

2. Finding New Ways to Collaborate and Scale Access to Justice

One of the strengths of the Conference is the connection and networking that takes place across the legal profession. There was hardly a session where cross-functional collaboration wasn’t mentioned, and in sessions, such as Pro Bono Partnerships: Collaboration with Companies, Law Firms, and Nonprofits, it was specifically highlighted for its ability to power a greater impact. The emerging momentum of community justice workers around the country was also featured at the Conference as a means to expand legal assistance in certain states and issue areas.

3. Innovating and Expanding Volunteer Engagement

Sustained pro bono participation is essential to ensuring that legal assistance is available to low-income and underserved populations. Creative, accessible approaches, such as pro bono volunteer portals, can meet volunteers where they are and provide flexibility. Mentorship and mission-driven messaging can also help to motivate pro bono participation, ensuring volunteers feel supported and reminded of why they pursue this work. One session, Engage Senior Fellows to Expand Access to Justice, focused on how to engage post-workforce lawyers and leverage their decades of experience.

4. Strategies for Supporting the Most Vulnerable

Pro bono work provides critical support for those most at risk of being overlooked or left behind. From “second-look” advocacy that gives people a renewed chance at justice to impactful criminal mitigation to 5 models to serve human trafficking survivors, Conference sessions emphasized representing clients in empathetic and impactful ways.

5. Sustaining Impact for Long-Term Support and Systemic Change

Zooming out to impact litigation, a session on the recent Grants Pass decision, explored how pro bono advocacy can move forward to support housing justice efforts around the country. Sessions, such as Trauma-Informed Lawyering when working with Immigrant Survivors, shared strategies for pro bono volunteers to protect their own well-being and prevent burnout to sustain their pro bono work with vulnerable populations for the long term.

These themes provide a foundation to address the day-to-day pro bono challenges and opportunities that will arise over the next year. Stay tuned for our upcoming Call for Proposals for the PBI 2026 Annual Conference. By submitting a session or topic idea, you are helping to inform the larger conversation around pro bono and access to justice.