Sustainability initiative

A virtuous circle

Pro bono is short for pro bono publico – for the public good. Pro bono is much more than just a generous impulse, it is central to who we are and what we value.

In some countries, the rules of professional conduct encourage pro bono work as an ethical obligation, reflecting the specialist nature of what lawyers can offer. Pro bono also addresses the fact that large parts of the population have no redress and too often find themselves without a lawyer.

But there is also a confluence of what we ought to do as an organization and what we want to do as individuals. For many of us, providing pro bono service is a personal matter and an opportunity to help others. At DLA Piper, we appreciate this and support our people’s desire to get involved in projects and make a difference in society.

Pro bono is also a great way to broaden experience. Getting involved in cutting-edge cases that are creating law or that push us beyond the boundaries of our usual practice makes us better lawyers and benefits the organization as a whole. The rewards are many – tangible and intangible – and this is why we take our pro bono work seriously. While there are different traditions and emphases, one thing is always the same: we work as hard on pro bono cases as we do on paid client work.

There’s more detail on our CSR and pro bono initiatives here to www.dlapiper.com/csr and www.dlapiperprobono.com