pro bono
adjective
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In Latin, pro bono publico means "for the public good;" in English we generally shorten the phrase to pro bono. Donating free legal help to those who need it has long been a practice of American law firms; the American Bar Association actually recommends that all lawyers donate 50 hours a year. Pro bono work is sometimes donated by nonlegal firms as well. For example, an advertising firm might produce a 60-second video for an environmental or educational organization, or a strategic-planning firm might prepare a start-up plan for a charity that funds shelters for battered women.
Examples of pro bono in a Sentence
Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The law firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon, also provided pro bono legal services for Chappell.
—Eric Levenson, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Guilds, a civilian attorney, represents his clients pro bono through the organization Protect Our Defenders.
—Clare Hymes, Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
They were connected with Andrew Heinrich, a lawyer and the executive director of the nonprofit Project Rousseau, who offered them pro bono legal assistance in managing the asylum application process.
—Olivia Bensimon Todd Heisler, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024
New investigations by the district attorney’s office and the former detective turned private eye, who worked pro bono, uncovered the actual killer and the events that took place on Sept. 2, 2000.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Experts say adjustable timing around volunteering opportunities for employees is also key, and companies should think about offering flexible scheduling for employees looking to give back, including time off, or opportunities to offer their professional skills pro bono.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Sun's comments at conference ‘took us all by surprise’
Unlike in the previous hearing, Sun sat at a witness table unaccompanied by lawyer Garrick McFadden, who had been representing Sun pro bono.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
This helps fund my ability to continue to represent homeless persons pro bono.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pro bono.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pro bono
Cite this Entry
“Pro bono.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro%20bono. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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