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Firms and In-House Team Up for Pro Bono

Australasian Lawyer
Samantha Woodhill
May 7, 2015

“Many in-house teams are interested in undertaking pro bono work, but face obstacles when it comes to establishing a pro bono practice. In response, in-house lawyers are increasingly teaming up with law firms on pro bono matters.

“King & Wood Mallesons has been partnering with their in-house clients from Telstra and ASIC in one of their largest pro bono projects, now running for seven years. The National Children’s and Youth Law Centre’s Cyber Project, which sees lawyers from the firm and in-house participate in weekly ‘cyber sessions’, providing direct written legal advice to children and young people on issues such as cyber bullying.

“King & Wood Mallesons is not alone in adopting this approach. In the 2014 financial year, 27 percent of firms surveyed by the National Pro Bono Resource Centre reported working with the in-house counsel of their corporate clients on pro bono matters or projects.

“Newly appointed global head of pro bono at Ashurst, Sarah Morton-Ramwell, has flagged growing the firm’s partnerships with in-house clients as part of her plans to cement the firm’s global pro bono practice.

“‘The more people you can bring, the more volunteers, the more people that come and know about these issues and can advocate for those issues, the better,’ she said. “It is absolutely bringing more people to the table.'”

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