26 November 2020

McCann FitzGerald Among Over 70 Founding Signatories of Legal Professionals Pledging to Promote Free Legal Assistance

Mary Brassil, Partner and Head of Pro Bono at McCann FitzGerald, said: “McCann FitzGerald is proud to be a founding signatory of the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland. We believe that it is important that we have a positive impact on the communities where we work through volunteering and supporting initiatives and promoting access to justice”.

“Our firm has a long-standing relationship with FLAC, with McCann FitzGerald volunteers staffing its busy legal advice clinic, aiding clients whose means make it difficult for them to secure professional legal advice. We are proud to support FLAC’s work to combat injustice and ensure fairness in society.”

The Pledge provides a common definition of pro bono legal work, a commitment to a minimum aspirational target of 20 pro bono hours per lawyer per year and a mechanism to benchmark progress through annual reporting of anonymous pro bono data.

The Pledge was developed by an independent grouping of law firms, barristers and in-house legal teams with a presence in the Republic of Ireland who have come together to affirm their commitment to delivering pro bono services in Ireland. The Pledge is coordinated by PILA (the Public Interest Law Alliance, a project of FLAC) and is supported by the Bar of Ireland, The Law Society of Ireland and the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association.

The Pledge is being launched during Pro Bono Week Ireland, an annual celebration that highlights and promotes pro bono culture. McCann FitzGerald is also a proud ‘Sustaining Partner’ of the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA), supporting their work by offering services on a pro bono basis to not for profit organisations.