A growing need for pro bono means Advocate needs more of the Bar’s help

 

 

For 30 years, Advocate has connected people who cannot afford legal help with barristers willing to provide their expertise on a pro bono basis. We work across every area of law, throughout England and Wales. My first Pro Bono Week at Advocate is a great opportunity not just to celebrate the extraordinary contribution of barristers, but also to be honest about the scale of the challenge ahead.

I joined Advocate as Chief Executive only a few weeks ago. Amid the introductions and inevitable learning curve of a new role, one figure has particularly stayed with me: in our 2025–26 financial year, 5,634 people asked Advocate for help, 35% more than the year before. These are big numbers for a charity with a small, but dedicated, staff team. 

Throughout my career, I have worked alongside people facing exclusion, disadvantage and injustice, and I have seen the difference that skilled advocacy and legal support can make at some of the most difficult moments in people’s lives. That is a large part of what attracted me to Advocate.

Demand is growing

The 5,634 people who came to us last year is not an isolated spike. Since 2021, applications to Advocate have increased by 22% in family law and 48% in employment law.

Behind each application is a person trying to navigate a legal problem without being able to afford the professional help that most of us would want if we found ourselves in the same position.

Advocate is working hard to respond, but the need continues to outstrip the help available. Last year, we allocated 1,078 cases to barristers, 11% less than the previous year. That represented 62% of all cases reviewed as eligible and needing barrister support. Unless barrister volunteering increases, the number of cases we can allocate is likely to remain broadly unchanged while demand continues to rise. This means that a smaller proportion of eligible applicants will receive the help they need.

At the time of writing this piece, 362 cases need a barrister, including 127 employment cases. Employment is our most pressing need, and we particularly need more barristers to help within this area of law.

Could you take a case?

My first ask this Pro Bono Week is therefore simple: if you are a barrister and are not currently actively volunteering with Advocate, please consider joining us. If you are already on our panel, thank you for your support and please take a look at the cases waiting for help.

I know that volunteering has to fit alongside demanding practices and busy lives. Taking on pro bono work through Advocate does not necessarily mean committing to every stage of a case. Cases can be authorised on a piece-by-piece basis, and support is available through initiatives including mentoring and Pro Bono Connect.

And it is important to be clear: pro bono is not a substitute for legal aid. It should operate alongside a properly funded legal aid system. But for thousands of people who approach Advocate, the willingness of a barrister to give their time and expertise can make an enormous difference.

We need financial support too

More applications do not only mean we need more barristers. They also mean we need a charity capable of handling that increased demand.

Every application we receive needs to be properly assessed. Suitable cases need to be documented and matched to the right barrister. Barristers need to be recruited and supported. And our systems and services need to keep pace with the number of people turning to us.

Over the last three years, Advocate has built a national casework team, with regional caseworkers based in every circuit, and has digitised core processes, largely in response to the growing demand. Our new three-year strategy, The Next Chapter, is about strengthening the foundations that will enable us to continue delivering high-quality free legal assistance nationally.

Advocate is an independent charity and relies on donations to meet its running costs. Last year, donations through the practising certificate renewal process accounted for 51% of Advocate’s funding, with more than 7,700 barristers contributing.

That is an extraordinary collective commitment from the Bar. But as demand grows, sustaining our service requires financial support as well as volunteered expertise. Regular donations are especially valuable because they enable us to plan for the future.

Celebrating pro bono by taking action

This year marks 25 years of Pro Bono Week. Its themes are to celebrate a tradition, inspire action and shape the future.  

There is certainly much to celebrate. One of my strongest impressions in my first few weeks at Advocate has been the depth of the Bar’s commitment to access to justice.

But those rising application numbers also give us a reason to act.

So, my request in my first Pro Bono Week as Advocate’s Chief Executive is straightforward: if you can give your time, please volunteer. If you already volunteer, please consider taking a case. And if you can support Advocate financially, please donate.

The generosity exists across the Bar already, alongside a deep-rooted commitment to access to justice, the rule of law and the importance of pro bono. The challenge now is to harness that generosity so that, together, we can help more people get the legal advice and representation they need.

Christopher Stacey is Chief Executive of Advocate, the Bar’s national pro bono charity. He joined Advocate in September 2026 following a career leading charities working across access to justice and social exclusion.