PRO BONO GOING PUBLIC 2024 

As the cost of living rises in communities throughout our province, more British Columbians than ever are contending with acute forms of financial strain, housing insecurity, relationship breakdown and other poverty-rooted hardship. Demand for our legal services has never been higher. 

Pro Bono Going Public is more critical than ever for ensuring that we can continue to provide access to legal services to thousands of British Columbians in need. Pro Bono Going Public returns to two in-person locations in 2024: the Surrey Civic Plaza and the Vancouver Art Gallery. The 17th annual service event will again follow a hybrid model, with lawyers offering free legal advice at virtual and in-person clinics. Its service and publicity campaigns will reach every BC city and town. Together, we will continue to demonstrate how much BC lawyers care about access to justice in every BC community. 

The event will run for two weeks (Monday to Friday) from September 9 - 27. Volunteer lawyers will select one or more hour-long telephone or in-person shifts. They can then solicit donations in support of their pro bono contributions. Clients will be low and modest income British Columbians in urgent need of free legal advice. Telephone appointment will be schedules with ample time for conflict checks, and in-person clinics will allow for pre-scheduled and drop-in appointments. 

APB invites BC lawyers to volunteer for one or two one-hour shifts. We also invite friends, family, co-workers  and members of the public to pledge financial support for the participating lawyers. Our hope is that each volunteer lawyer will set a fundraising goal equal to or more than their billable hour rate to support our programs. We aim to serve the public, spread awareness around lawyers's efforts to increase access to justice, and raise $120,000 or more for BC-wide pro bono services. We can achieve our goals with your help! 

I'M A LAWYER, I'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE

As a volunteer, you'll be able to register as an individual or with a team. And you'll be able to choose your preferred date and shift time. You'll speak to one or two low or modest income clients during your one-hour telephone or in-person shift. We match clients' legal issues to lawyers' areas of expertise, and we provide more than enough time to conduct thorough conflict checks. We also extend full insurance coverage for all legal help provided through PBGP 2023. Your obligations as the solicitor to your clients end when your shift is over. 

OKAY, I'M REGISTERED. HOW DO I RAISE FUNDS?

You can access your personal fundraising page by clicking the "LOGIN" button above, and by using the username and password you chose upon registration (information that is e-mailed to you). From your personal fundraising page, you can upload a photo, enter a message informing people why you're participating in PBGP, send sponsorship requests to your friends, family and co-workers, manage your pledge sheet, and monitor your fundraising progress. Your supporters can make donations online or pledge to support you offline via cheque or cash. You can also share your fundraising page on social media to promote engagement and support. 

Please note: Registrations for all clinics are now closed. To find information about your registered clinic or to find your personal fundraising page, please 'LOGIN' to your Pro Bono Going Public account.  

I CAN'T PARTICIPATE. HOW CAN I STILL SUPPORT THE CAUSE?

You can "SPONSOR A VOLUNTEER" or you can make a secure online charitable donation to Access Pro Bono by clicking on "DONATE"

HOW DO I SPONSOR A PARTICIPANT?

We bet you've never sponsored a lawyer before! Our community-minded volunteer lawyers deserve your support. Here's how you can  sponsor a volunteer of your choice, or sponsor a volunteer at random:    

Click on the "SPONSOR A VOLUNTEER" button, type in the Participant or Team's name, click Search and scroll down to see the results. When you find a volunteer lawyer, click on their name to access their personalized donation page, and then make a contribution. If you'd prefer to sponsor a team, you can do so on the team page. Your donation will be evenly distributed toward each team member's personal fundraising goal. 

I NEED FREE LEGAL HELP

If you need free legal advice and would like to book an appointment with a lawyer through PBGP 2024, please call our client line at 604-878-7400.