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

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.

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

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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.

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Melissa Shepard, legal services director at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, told Salon that her organization began representing Andry on a pro bono basis in December 2024.

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This is Adrian's fourth case against the government, using pro bono lawyers.

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