Pro Bono
Slaughter and May is proud of its strong history of pro bono work for those in need. We assist charities and not for profit organisations by offering our legal skills and experience to drive forward the work they do for their communities, both locally and internationally.
Pro bono is an integral part of our Responsible Business strategy and reflects our commitment to social mobility. Our pro bono work comprises three key areas: advising charities; supporting community organisations that improve access to justice and assist individuals in need; and delivering legal education projects. Our lawyers work closely with our immediate community in Islington as well as nationally and internationally on projects fighting climate change and furthering the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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THE CHANCERY LANE PROJECT: CONTRACTUAL CLAUSES TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
We have been working with The Chancery Lane Project to develop new laws and contractual clauses to fight climate change with a multi-disciplinary team across practice groups.
Volunteers from across the firm have contributed to drafting new clauses and model laws, as well as providing peer reviews on drafts and analysis on using the new model clauses.
SUSTAINABILITY FIRST: PUBLIC UTILITIES AND THE DELIVERY OF SUSTAINABILITY
Our competition team has been working on a long term project with Sustainability First, a non-profit think-tank providing sustainable solutions in the energy and water sectors.
In a major piece of pro bono work, we looked into the extent to which the legal and regulatory frameworks for the utilities sector create barriers to or facilitate the delivery of sustainability and whether further legislation is required.
COMMUNITY LAW CLINICS
We support the Islington Law Centre and the Citizens Advice Bureau at the Royal Courts of Justice with financial donations and pro bono support. Working with specialist supervisors and training, our volunteer lawyers participate in weekly legal clinics to advise individuals and help them navigate complex legal systems. With the closure of many in-person services in line with government regulations, we have adapted to provide clinic appointments over the phone, allowing clinics to continue assisting those in need.
Green Finance Institute: financial pathways to a green economy
We have been working with the Green Finance Institute, a non-profit organisation working to unblock the barriers to mobilising capital into the transition of the real economy, bringing the public, private and philanthropic sectors together to co-create the innovations and interventions necessary to build scalable green financial pathways.
British Red Cross
We are pleased to continue our long-term pro bono partnership supporting British Red Cross in their mission to help those in crisis. Across our various matters, our work has included work reviewing service and supply agreements, advising on contracts implementing electronic transactional solutions, as well as financial payment solutions to quickly respond to emergency situations.
Volunteers from across the firm have contributed to drafting new clauses and model laws, as well as providing peer reviews on drafts and analysis on using the new model clauses.
In a major piece of pro bono work, we looked into the extent to which the legal and regulatory frameworks for the utilities sector create barriers to or facilitate the delivery of sustainability and whether further legislation is required.
AMICUS
Amicus is a small charity that conducts research and provides representation to those facing the death penalty in the United States. It aims to ensure better access to justice (in particular around injustice in capital cases in relation to mental illness, intellectual disability, race and poverty) and to raise awareness of the potential infringement of defendants’ rights.
The firm’s volunteers track and conduct case reviews of capital cases.
FIRM FUTURES LEGAL SEMINARS
Firm Futures is one of the firm’s joint projects with St Luke’s, a local community centre. As part of this project our lawyers provide legal education to selected long term unemployment participants who are being supported in setting up their own business. The workshops outline key legal issues and considerations for a start-up business, including company structures, data protection, contracts and intellectual property.
Our Real Estate group works on a pro bono basis with Crisis, a national charity with a mission to end homelessness. Recent work includes working on the development of a number of Skylight centres, which are the charity’s flagship support network, providing a wide-range of support and training facilities for homeless people.
DRINK WITHOUT WASTE – HONG KONG
Our Hong Kong office has been supporting the ‘Drink Without Waste’ campaign with pro bono legal advice. The campaign is aimed at reducing waste and litter from beverage consumption in Hong Kong.
The firm’s volunteers track and conduct case reviews of capital cases.
For more information on Firm Futures, please visit our Citizenship page
REAL ESTATE ADVICE TO CRISIS
FLIPFLOPI
We provide pro bono advice to FlipFlopi, a movement for change with a mission to end single-use plastic through education about marine pollution. The FlipFlopi Dhow was built with waste plastic collected from the beaches and roadsides in Kenya and completed its first expedition in 2019, sailing over 500km from Kenya to Tanzania. The firm has been supporting with pro bono advice for the project’s legal structuring, operational and expansion needs.
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity
We have been a long-standing pro bono partner of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. They raise money solely to support The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre, and make a difference for cancer patients here and around the world. We work across the charity’s legal matters, including partnership agreements, data protection and IP/IT advice.
ACCESS SOCIAL CARE
Access Social Care provides free legal advice for people with social care needs, helping to achieve a better quality of life. They work with communities to increase knowledge of the law and rights and provide advice to those who cannot afford it. The firm’s volunteers provide casework support to people with learning disabilities, ensuring they get the social care support they need. With a 98% success rate, Access’ network of lawyers and barristers ensure fair access to justice when things go wrong.
LEGAL MASTERCLASSES FOR CHARITIES
We host an annual series of virtual workshops addressing legal issues relevant to charities. The sessions help charities to improve their governance and operations, enabling them to increase the impact of their services to the individuals and communities they represent.
National Pro Bono Week
At Slaughter and May we are excited to be participating in National Pro Bono Week. Pro Bono Week offers an opportunity to recognise and supports the voluntary contribution made by lawyers across the UK in giving free legal help to those in need.
National Pro Bono Week