Values and Principles

• Pro bono legal services are those legal services that are provided to people and non-profit organizations of limited means without expectation of a fee;

• Pro bono legal services should be designed and provided according to the changing social and legal needs of the people and non-profit organizations of limited means for whom they are intended;

• Pro bono legal services should be provided to people and organizations of limited means according to the same standards of dedication, excellence, and professional ethics as paid legal services; and

• Pro bono legal services should serve to complement and not replace government-funded programs advancing access to justice; a collaborative pro bono system should not substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.

• Pro Bono Law of BC strives to ensure that high-quality pro bono legal services are available to people and non-profit organizations of limited means in all urban and rural regions of British Columbia;

• Pro Bono Law of BC will promote effective links with existing and potential pro bono service providers, all levels of government, community organizations, law firms, legal advocacy groups, bar associations, law foundations, professional organizations, law schools and law students in order to advance access to justice through effective research, the promotion of a pro bono culture and the provision of high-quality pro bono legal services;

• Pro Bono Law of BC strives to improve the overall delivery of pro bono legal services by facilitating the integration and coordination of services provided by pro bono organizations and service providers throughout British Columbia;

• Pro Bono Law of BC will assist organizations to establish a pro bono component to their services wherever practicable; and

• Pro Bono Law of BC strives to develop new means of delivering pro bono legal services where the legal needs of people and non-profit organizations of limited means are currently unfulfilled.