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Aus lawyers did less pro bono in 2018 than last year
Despite an increase in the number of lawyers signed up to the Australian Pro Bono Target, legal professionals across the country collectively contributed 5,352 fewer hours in FY2018 compared to the previous financial year.
Jerome Doraisamy
The Eleventh Annual Performance Report on the Target has shown that 12,051 Australian lawyers provided a total of 414,843 hours of pro bono legal services this past financial year, marking a 1.3 per cent drop from the 420,195 hours volunteered the year before.
The total hours equated to 230 lawyers working pro bono full-time for one year.
The Australian Pro Bono Centre outlined that Target signatories had averaged slightly less than the Target level of 25 hours of pro bono work per annum in 2018, coming in just under at 34.97 hours. This was down from 35.7 hours in FY2017.
In addition, “large firms” (classified as having 50 or more lawyers) averaged 34.91 hours per lawyer, a decline from 35.60 hours the previous year.
Speaking about the numbers for 2018, Pro Bono Centre chief executive John Corker said the results were “mixed” and the reasons for lower overall performance were “complex”.
“Looking at the results from the last few years, we seem to have reached a plateau. Increasing competition in the legal services market may be exerting a downward trend on available resources, but pro bono performances is about commitment,” he explained.
“And hours are just part of the story. The process efficiencies involved and the client outcomes achieved continue to be impressive. Today, more than ever, it is vital that lawyers take a leading role in standing for the rule of law, challenging injustice and helping the most disadvantaged individuals through pro bono legal service.”
Eighteen large firms out of 37 reported results that were down on last year’s figures, while 17 such firms reported an increase.
Twenty-one of those 37 firms reported not being able to meet the 35-hour target, which was up from 20 out of 39 last year.
“We urge firms that are persistently falling well short of the Target to review their programs. And of course we are always happy to work with firms towards achieving improvements,” Mr Corker said.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. In June 2024, he also assumed the editorship of HR Leader. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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