Many lawyers want to use their skills for the public good. Few know where to start. That is why Pro Publico offers pro bono sessions for law firms: short, practical introductions held at the firm’s own office. In each session, we explain who we are, how our matchmaking works and how lawyers can support civil …
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by Martina Manzani Summary of the paper “European Union and the Legal Pro Bono Ecosystem” Abstract The 2025 EU Strategy for Civil Society is the first EU instrument to treat pro bono legal support as a structural, cross-sectoral element of civic-space protection. Yet its pro bono commitment amounts to a single paragraph and a footnote …
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Kindly hosted by DLA Piper, the 2026 Brussels Pro Bono Roundtable marked the second year of the Pro Publico and Pro Iura Awards. It brought together law firms, civil society organisations, coordinators and friends who believe professional skills should serve the public interest. The awards are only the visible peak of what this community does …
Read more “Brussels Pro Bono Roundtable 2026: Meet the Winners of the Pro Publico Awards”
Brussels, 9 September 2026 — Our managing co-founder and director Francesco Zatelli today announced his acceptance to The Obama Foundation’s Leaders program, joining more than 150 changemakers from around the world in the 2026-2027 class. Following a competitive selection process, Francesco will be one of 35 Leaders participating in the Leaders Europe program, where they …
A new report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) confirms what many in the civil society sector already feel in their daily work: the space to operate freely, safely, and sustainably is shrinking. The Civic Space Update: Enabling Civil Society to Uphold EU Values and Strengthen Democracy, published in March 2026, offers …
Read more “Europe’s Civil Society Is Under Pressure – And the Numbers Prove It”
Environmental advocates across Europe are facing a threat that operates not in the streets or the media, but in the courtroom. SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – are increasingly being weaponised against those who speak out about pollution, extractive industries, and harmful development. A recent op-ed by Ruby Silk, published in the run-up …
Read more “SLAPPs Are Silencing Environmental Defenders – And Europe Needs to Wake Up”
The Call for Proposals for the PBI 2027 Annual Conference is open now through August 14, 2026. Propose a session or suggest a topic or speaker — here’s how. If you’ve spent the last year testing a new pro bono model, solving a tricky access-to-justice problem, or building a partnership that actually worked, don’t keep …
Read more “Got a Great Pro Bono Idea? The 2027 PBI Annual Conference Wants to Hear It “
On 11 June 2026, the Brussels Pro Bono community gathered at Mayer Brown‘s offices for a Special Edition of the Brussels Pro Bono Roundtable – timed to coincide with European Pro Bono Week and its theme “Reinforcing pro bono ecosystems: Building partnerships that last”. The evening brought together lawyers from some of Brussels’ leading …
Today marked the official launch of the 2026 European Pro Bono Week, an annual initiative celebrating the impact of volunteer legal and professional services across the continent. As a co-host and active participant, Pro Publico extends a massive thank you to all the expert speakers, panelists, and attendees who made today’s opening seminar an incredible …
Pro Publico was honoured to join The Coalition against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) in-person meeting in Sofia for a double occasion: 1️⃣ our annual in-person 2026 strategy meeting and 2️⃣ the fifth ★European SLAPP Contest ★ Where Strategy Meets Accountability Last week, Pro Publico ASBL travelled to Sofia as part of the CASE (Coalition Against …
Pro Publico led a workshop during PILnet’s European Convening inviting the pro bono legal community to co-create a pledge against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). What is a SLAPP? SLAPPs are one of the quietest threats to democracy in Europe today. They don’t make headlines the way censorship does. Instead, they work through exhaustion …
Running a nonprofit in Belgium can feel like navigating a maze of legal obligations, governance rules, and administrative responsibilities. From managing a board to ensuring compliance with reporting requirements, leaders of ASBL and AISBL organisations face a complex set of challenges throughout the year. To help address these issues in a practical way, Pro Publico …
For any non-profit, few things are more valuable than unrestricted funding, meaning money you can actually use where it matters most, without being tied to a single project, output, or donor’s agenda. Yet most grants come loaded with conditions. So when a curated list of 30 US and European foundations that actively give unrestricted support …
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On February 12 we brought together legal professionals, consultants, and other stakeholders for the latest edition of the Brussels Pro Bono Roundtable. Here is what emerged and what it tells us about the state of pro bono in Belgium. Last week a new edition of the Brussels Pro Bono Roundtable took place, bringing …
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Pro bono legal support has been explicitly recognised as a key enabler of a strong and resilient civic space in the newly published EU Strategy for Civil Society. This marks an important moment for organisations like Pro Publico, which work at the intersection of civil society and professional expertise. The Strategy highlights the central …
This year marked a milestone for our organisation: the first edition of the Pro Publico Awards, held during the celebration of our first year as an independent assocation. We created these awards to recognise pro bono work not only for its outcomes, but for the collective energy, values and commitment that make such work possible. …
This week, we celebrate our very first anniversary at Pro Publico, and we couldn’t think of a better way to mark the occasion than with a new brand identity and a brand-new website. Over the past year, we’ve learned one thing above all: when civil society thrives, democracy thrives. But in today’s climate of shrinking …
Read more “Pro Publico Turns One: Fresh Brand, New Website, Same Mission”
Every year, The American Lawyer releases a scorecard ranking law firms by the number of hours they dedicate to pro bono work. The 2024 list is a testament to the deep and growing commitment of the legal profession to advancing justice. Leading the way are firms like Jenner & Block, Covington & Burling, and WilmerHale …
Read more “Why Big Law’s free legal work matters (more than ever)”
The TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, developed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, offers one of the most comprehensive global overviews of how law firms contribute to access to justice through pro bono work. By surveying thousands of lawyers and dozens of firms across jurisdictions, the Index shines a light on how (and where) the legal …
Belgium may soon become a trailblazer in defending free expression and public watchdogs in Europe. In a recent op-ed for Inforrm’s Blog, Prof. Dirk Voorhoof analyzes how Belgium is positioning itself as a model for the implementation of the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive, a new legal instrument designed to counter strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). …
Got a Great Pro Bono Idea? The 2027 PBI Annual Conference Wants to Hear It