The Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales, which will be published annually, recognises barristers and solicitors who have given 25 or more hours pro bono legal assistance in the previous calendar year.

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The Pro Bono Recognition List was set up under the aegis of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, with support from the Access to Justice Foundation, Advocate, Advocates for International Development, the Law Officers, the Bar Council, the Clinical Legal Education Organisation, the In-House Pro Bono Group, the Law Society, LawWorks, the National Pro Bono Centre and TrustLaw.

 

The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales, The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill is the Patron of the Pro Bono Recognition List.

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FAQs for In House Lawyers

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Who can be included in the list?

Any barrister, chartered legal executive, registered European lawyer, registered foreign lawyer or solicitor, who was practising as of the submission date, and undertook 25 or more hours of legal pro bono work in 2025.Those who completed their legal qualification during 2025 can include any pro bono work they undertook in the year, including as a trainee or pupil. Lawyers who are not yet qualified by year end — including trainee solicitors, pupil barristers, and paralegals — cannot currently be included in the List.

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How does the Recognition List define pro bono work?

The Recognition List follows the Joint Pro Bono Protocol, which defines legal pro bono as legal advice or representation provided by lawyers in the public interest including to individuals, charities and community groups who cannot afford to pay for that advice or representation and where public and alternative means of funding are not available, and the Trust Law Definition.

Examples of work that qualifies as pro bono include:

 

1. Research: Legal research provided for free to individuals, charities or community groups

2. Training and Education: (a) Preparing and running training sessions, seminars or webinars specifically to or for pro bono clients on legal topics (e.g. training sessions for NGOs); or (b) Providing legal education lessons to students in under resourced schools.

3. Committee and Trusteeship: Drafting or reviewing governance documents, contracts, or policies for a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation. Note that only legal work associated with these roles would qualify.

4. Legal advice clinics or pro bono clearing houses (e.g. Advocate, LawWorks or TrustLaw): (a) Advising an individual facing eviction, discrimination, or asylum proceedings who cannot afford legal representation. (e.g. KIND); (b) Providing representation through legal advice clinics or pro bono clearing houses; (c) Supporting strategic litigation that advances access to justice or human rights.

Examples of work that does not qualify include:

 

1. Volunteering that is non-legal (e.g. mentoring, fundraising, or administrative support).

2. Legal work done for paying clients, even if at a discounted rate.

3. Mentoring students about career development, including a career in law.

4. Work undertaken by a pro bono coordinator to organise pro bono work.

 

If you have any questions about whether or not the work you have undertaken qualifies as pro bono work, please contact info@inhouseprobono.uk

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How do you submit your details?

Individual lawyers can submit their details using the links on the Recognition List's website.

Organisations can make bulk submissions for all the lawyers they employ using the Excel spreadsheet available on the website. Completed spreadsheets should be sent to contact@probonorecognitionlist.org.uk. Bulk submissions must use the official template, and organisations must obtain consent from each lawyer named.

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What is the deadline for submissions?

Submissions open on Monday 12 January 2026 and close on Friday 6 March 2026. No late submissions will be accepted. After this deadline, please submit in the following year for the next List.

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When will the list be published?

The Pro Bono Recognition List will be published in April 2026.

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How will my data be used?

Please see the data privacy policy on the website.

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What if as an individual lawyer I worked for more than one organisation during the year?

Please name the organisation that you were working for at the end of the year in question (i.e. as of 31 December 2025).

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Who is responsible for the Pro Bono Recognition List?

The Steering Group of the Attorney General’s Committee for Pro Bono is responsible for the operation and management of the List.

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Who checks the submissions?

Organisations making bulk submissions are responsible for confirming the accuracy of their information. Lawyers making individual submissions must also attest to the accuracy of their entries. The declaration of pro bono work is taken on trust. Inclusion in the List cannot be taken as a warranty of an individual’s professional status or the nature of their work. The Steering Group reserves the right, at its discretion, not to include or to remove a name from the List.

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Who can I contact if I have any questions or technical issues with submissions?

Please email contact@probonorecognitionlist.org.uk.

 

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