The TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono collated data collected by the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s annual pro bono legal survey to measure emerging trends in the quantity and focus of pro bono work being taken on by lawyers around the globe. The Index concluded that the average number of pro bono hours worked annually by Asia Pacific lawyers grew 38 per cent from 17.5 hours to 24.2 hours last year, with pro bono hours shooting up as much as 211 per cent since 2014 in China. The data also shows that pro bono work is winning greater favour in non-traditional markets and smaller firms than with industry heavyweights, with small firms around the world averaging 41.7 hours pro bono per lawyer each year compared with a 35.1-hour average at larger firms.

Chosen focus

Immigration-related cases were the most popular area for pro bono legal work, according to the survey findings. Around 41.4 per cent of firms chose immigration as the focus of their pro bono activities.

Partner participation

The percentage of partners doing pro bono work at AsiaPac firms grew from 34.9 per cent to 39.8 per cent over 2015, though the number of pro bono hours committed by partners remained flat. The percentage of fee earners working more than 10 hours pro bono per year jumped more than 10 per cent to 31 per cent over the year, while several firms – including Hong Kong’s C.Y. Lam & Co, India’s LawQuest and the South Korea office of Paul Hastings – score perfect marks with 100 per cent of fee earners putting in at least 10 hours per year.

Sources: Asian Legal Business; TrustLaw Index