pro bono

Or pro-bon·o

[proh boh-noh]

adjective

1. (of legal work) without charge to the client.

   The firm offers pro bono legal services. He took the case pro bono.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pro bono¹

First recorded in 1720–30, pro bono is from Latin prō bonō “for (the) good, rightly, morally”

Example Sentences

The disclosures show Kugler accepted more than $41,000 in pro bono legal services from the Washington law firm Arnold & Porter.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rebecca Cassler, an attorney at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said her organization’s pro bono program has seen an increase in cases of detained pregnant, postpartum and nursing people.

Read more on Salon

Miss Robinson had free legal representation, so the judge made a pro bono costs order, meaning Excel Parking had to pay the money to a charity called the Access to Justice Foundation.

Read more on BBC

Now, Davis Polk is among the many firms that are avoiding pro bono immigration cases, The New York Times reported.

Read more on Salon

Morales, who is applying for asylum after fleeing violent gangs in El Salvador, said the court system can be confusing and that pro bono attorneys aren’t taking cases.

Read more on Los Angeles Times