Pro Bono Week 2023

7 November 2023

Pro Bono Week Ireland will take place from the 20th to 25th November 2023.

PILA (The Public Interest Law Alliance), a project of FLAC, A&L Goodbody, Arthur Cox, DLA Piper Ireland LLP, Matheson, McCann Fitzgerald, Mayson Hayes & Curran LLP and William Fry are pleased to invite you to participate in Pro Bono Week Ireland which celebrates the role played by volunteer lawyers supporting civil society and those in need. Events will take place, throughout the week – to highlight and promote pro bono culture.

A central objective of Pro Bono Week is to bring together various stakeholders in the pro bono ecosystem – lawyers, law students, non-profits, human rights activists, academics and business – for an engaging conversation about important issues relating to legal needs within Europe and the role for pro bono in tackling these issues.

Pro Bono Week Ireland is a part of a wider project, i.e. European Pro Bono Week, and seeks to celebrates the role played by volunteer lawyers, across Europe, in supporting civil society and promoting access to justice for those in need.

You can find out further details and register for each event using the links below.

*Please note that you must register for each individual event separately*

EU wide Launch of Pro Bono Week

This year, the overarching theme for the European Pro Bono Week is ‘Maximising the Impact of Pro Bono’. The launch event will focus on various aspects of maximizing the impact of pro bono work including by involving the next generation, by rethinking the concept of justice regarding the beneficiaries of pro bono work, and by creating collaborative projects involving the recipient communities.

Tune in to hear from:

Awmaima A Khattab Amrayaf, Senior Impact Adviser, DLA Piper
Nani Jansen Reventlow, Founder, Systemic Justice
Lamin Khadar, Global Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU Paris
Mark Stephens, Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Date: Monday, November 20 2023 - 1pm to 2pm

Location: Online

NGO Pitch Event

The objective of the event is to connect Pro Bono Pledge Ireland Signatories that have committed to doing pro bono work with NGOs and civil society organisations that have projects in need of legal expertise.

Representatives from civil society organisations will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to Pledge Signatories, which include over 50 law firms across Ireland. During the 10-minute pitch, representatives of 4 selected NGOs, charities, social enterprises or other civil society groups should provide an overview of their organisation and articulate their unmet legal needs. Following each pitch, Pledge Signatories will have the opportunity to ask any questions which will help them decide whether they can form a long-term relationship with the NGO and offer pro bono legal assistance. PILA will facilitate the introduction between the civil society representatives and the legal practitioners who wish to develop an ongoing relationship after the event.

Date: Tuesday, November 21st 2023 - 1pm to 2pm

Format: Zoom Webinar

If you wish to apply to represent your organisation in the NGO Pitch Event, please fill the application form and email it to pila@flac.ie with the subject line ‘NGO Pitch Event Application - November 2023’ by COB Tuesday 7 November 2023.

Strengthening the Legal Capacity of Civil Society in Ireland - Day in the Life of an NGO workshop

Those working in civil society organisations in Ireland are under increasing pressure to ensure their organisations are governed to the highest standards and at the same time that their campaigns for social change are politically effective and run in compliance with the laws that affect their campaigning activities. Funders, members, supporters, Charities Regulatory Authority and Data Protection Commissioner rightfully expect a high standard of internal governance and transparency. However those working within a typical Irish civil society organisation do not always have the time or in-house expertise to fully analyse and understand the complex and broad spectrum of legislation, regulation and caselaw that now applies to both their internal and external activities. This session will demonstrate the essential ways in which pro bono lawyers can assist in building the capacity of campaigners to navigate the law in relation to employment, charity governance, defamation and data protection and help them ensure efficient organizations and effective campaigns.

Volunteer lawyers will act out a scenario where a civil society organization are holding their monthly staff meeting. In the course of the discussion, we will cover some key legal issues that they might need to consider, arising both within the organization and in their external work. These issues cover employment law, charity law, defamation, and data protection.

Volunteer lawyers will be called upon by the moderator to intervene at key points to explain the key legal considerations and why certain proposed courses of action might be low or high risk for the charity. The purpose of the role play is to illustrate the breadth of legal issues that can arise on a day to day basis for a charity and how fears of legal repercussions can impact or paralyse decision-making; crucially also, how pro bono lawyers can get involved in advising them. In each section we would like to flag the main risks that the proposed course of action raises, the relevant legal framework and also highlight sensible courses of action available.

Date: Wednesday, November 22nd 2023 - 10am to 12pm

Location: William Fry Offices, 2 Grand Canal Quay, Dublin Docklands, Dublin 2, D02 A342, Ireland

Launch of the 2023 Pro Bono Impact Report

Join us to celebrate the pro bono achievements of Ireland's legal community this year and the launch of the second Pro Bono Pledge Report. A panel of NGO representatives and lawyers will share their experiences about the impact pro bono legal services has had on their organisations this year. This in person event aims to recognise the impact Ireland's pro bono efforts have made and to inspire further collaborative projects for the upcoming year.

Date: Thursday, November 23rd 2023 - 5:30pm to 7pm

Location: DLA Piper Ireland LLP Offices, 40 Molesworth Pl, Dublin 2, D02 YV57, Ireland

Registration in advance is essential. Please register for the event at this link.