Pro Bono Promotion

Read the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas

A cornerstone of the Vance Center’s work is the promotion of pro bono practice in legal markets in which pro bono culture is unknown or in development.

The Vance Center makes use of two critical tools to advance pro bono practice in these markets. One is the Pro Bono Network of the Americas, a consortium of 19 pro bono clearinghouses throughout the hemisphere, which the Vance Center jointly coordinates with Fundación Pro Bono Chile.

The second is the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, which defines legal pro bono and sets forth a commitment of 20 annual pro bono hours per attorney at signatory law firms. There are currently more than 560 signatories to the Declaration throughout the Americas.

With these tools in hand, the Vance Center supports and builds capacity for emerging clearinghouses in the region and for in-house pro bono programs at law firms.

Annual Pro Bono Survey

For 17 years the Vance Center has partnered with Latin Lawyer to develop and administer a survey measuring the continued institutionalization of pro bono in Latin America. In 2024—with critical support from clearinghouse partners in the Network—185 law firms from 18 countries completed the survey.

The 2024 survey highlights effective approaches to institutionalizing and investing in pro bono practice within firms, and tips to encourage more lawyers to take on pro bono work. For the first time, this year’s survey also included a data-driven comparative analysis of results from the six largest jurisdictions and Central America.

• More than three-quarters of law firms that responded to the survey are members of a local pro bono foundation, institute or clearinghouse
• Two-thirds of respondents are already signatories to the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, up from 61% last year and 55% in 2022.
• More than 90% of law firm respondents have a designated internal pro bono coordinator. However, just 11% of firms in the region have a full-time pro bono coordinator.

Learn more about the 2024 survey and read the full analysis by Latin Lawyer.

COVID-19 Response

The unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic had—and continue to have—a profound effect on the legal profession in Latin America, including pro bono practice across the region. The many logistical and administrative issues notwithstanding, clearinghouse members of the Network have responded in kind. Following a transition to a largely digital service delivery model for pro bono legal services, lawyers in Latin America

In 2020, the Vance Center co-organized a six-month interview series structured in weekly, country-specific installments to discuss Network members’ institutional responses to the global pandemic. View the interviews here.