Manchester Pro Bono Committee Questionnaire
As you may have read in The Messenger and on our weekly e-newsletter there have been some recent discussions in Manchester regarding pro bono and there seemed to be a desire to encourage more pro bono volunteering in the city, and to increase the collaboration and coordination of pro bono locally, and with that objective in mind, to establish a pro bono committee for Greater Manchester.
The steering committee met earlier this month and decided that the Terms of Reference of the Manchester Pro Bono Committee have as its purpose and aim to:
- Discuss and share information about pro bono (including the legal need) in Greater Manchester, in particular between the profession, charities/agencies providing legal support, law schools, local authorities, government agencies and judiciary.
- Encourage pro bono volunteering by the Manchester Legal profession (spanning solicitors, barristers, in house lawyers, legal executives, paralegals, and supervised law students).
- Facilitate coordination, collaboration and best use of resources for pro bono both locally, and by building links with national pro bono charities and projects.
- Provide strategic direction for pro bono in Greater Manchester, for example regarding:
(b) creation of new collaborative projects;
(c) secondary specialisation and
(d) funding and the provision of resource.
- To raise awareness to stake holders and those needing legal support of what free legal advice is available by providing information to sign-posters (and the public) about free legal help in Manchester, and discuss how signposting/referrals can be most effective.
We have prepared a questionnaire and it is hoped that the answers will inform the Pro Bono committee not only as to the level of need in Manchester but also the current provision of pro bono support provided by each organisation, charity or Law firm in Manchester and how this operates in practice. Significantly it also hopes to capture a snap shot of what else may be capable of being offered within Greater Manchester by way of pro bono advice and representation.
The answers will help in the creation of a sign posting guide to be published in Pro Bono Week (7 to 11 November) and inform the Strategy and Manifesto of the Manchester Pro Bono Committee and in particular its one year to five-year plan to be discussed in committee.
We would be really grateful if you could ask whoever is responsible for the provision of Pro Bono within your firms to complete the questionnaire via this link by close of business on Monday 7th November.
Thank you for your support of and engagement with the Manchester Pro Committee and provision of Pro Bono support.
If you have any further queries or wish to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact us.
Warmest Regards
Fran
Fran Eccles-Bech
Chief Executive
Manchester Law Society
For and on behalf of:
Sophie Cartwright KC, Deans Court Chambers &
Nick Johnson, Vice President, Manchester Law Society & Glaisyers
Joint Chairs, Manchester Pro Bono Committee