Originating from the Latin term meaning voluntary work aimed at fostering the common good, Pro Bono work is a rewarding and effective tool for social change.
The CULS Pro Bono team organises Pro Bono projects throughout the year. CULS members have opportunities to involve themselves in these projects which mainly address issues regarding access to justice and international human rights. If you’re interested in gaining new, practical legal skills, developing your awareness of social issues, and improving your local community, we highly encourage you to get involved.
The ILBF is a UK-based charity which aims to uphold the rule of law and access to justice for all through sharing legal knowledge and weare proud to be one of their partners. The Cambridge ILBF Team, spearheaded by the Pro Bono Department, collects legal textbooks donated by variousCambridge University College Libraries. We deal with the logistics of collecting and packing thebooks, organising boxes, packing supplies, and storage. Every year, we are fortunate enough to recruit volunteers to help pack the books for shipment. In 2023, the team successfully packaged 111 boxes of books, totaling toabout 600-700 books for the Bolivian Senate (Library)
Amicus is an organisation that provides representation for those facing the death penalty in the United States. The organisation was founded in 1992 in memory of Andrew Lee Jones, who was executed in Louisiana. The Pro Bono team at CULS held its first successful fundraising and awareness formal at Churchill College in 2023, in support of Amicus ALJ.The Pro Bono department further supports the Missouri Project, where student caseworkers collaborate with Amicus in conducting research into wrongful applications of the death penalty. By analysing a database of the last 30 years' worth of homicides in Missouri, Cambridge students have helped to highlight problems common to capital cases, such as racial biases toward the defendants and victims.
Citizens Advice is an independent organisation which provides advice to individuals facing legal, debt and housing problems. They seekvolunteers whose duties include conducting research on the problems clients face, organising campaigns to raise awareness of these problems, and lobbying for change by liaising with the person/organisation causing them.In 2022, CULS Pro Bono partnered with Citizens Advice Cambridge in running a summer volunteering scheme (which was held remotely with the option of attending the office in person). Students who signed up had a fantastic opportunity to learn about common legal issues Cambridge locals encounter, as well as different solutions to these problems. We hope to continue the tradition of recruiting research and campaigns volunteers for Citizens Advice, and are opening applications for the 2024 cycle soon.
The Cambridge Legal Walk, followed by a food and drinks reception at Anglia Ruskin University, is an annual event which aims to raise money for the Access to Justice Foundation and increase awareness of the Foundation’s work. The funds raised will support free legal advice services across the UK for disadvantaged individuals who require assistance in areas including welfare, family and immigration - enabling them to understand the legal issues they face, access their rights and regain control of their lives. In the past, CULS Pro Bono played a key role in promoting this event and attracted a sizable number of participants from Cambridge University every year. In October 2021, 75 law students and many Law Faculty staff members participated in the Walk.
In the 2022-23 academic year, CULS Pro Bono has organised various panel events, such as the CULS Pro Bono and Careers panel event held at St John’s College and the Pro Bono Collaboration Panel held at LSE. Panellists invited to these events include Dr Jodi Gardner (Fellow at St John’s College), Nabil Khabirpour (Founder of The Law Corner), Eduardo Baistrocchi (Associate Professor of Law at LSE) and Anthony Metzer KC (Barrister at Goldsmith Chambers). Such events aim to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the pro bono sector and legal industry at large, such as the cost of living crisis and human rights issues. They have also introduced excellent pro bono opportunities to our students. In the 2023-24 academic year, we hope to organise more of these events, which will not only enable students to connect with leading academics, barristers and solicitors, but also increase their understanding of, and participation in the pro bono sector.
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