Pro Bono Lawyer 12 month FTC

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team developing and managing the firms global pro bono practice. The role is based in London and will be offered as a 12 month fixed-term contract.

Pro Bono Practice

We provide free legal services in the public interest (pro bono) to a wide range of clients from individual asylum seekersto some of theworlds biggest charities. We believe everyone should have effective access to their legal rights and focus our efforts in certain areas including child rights refugee rights womens rights LGBTQ rights and human trafficking.

Our aim is to have the greatest possible impact on access to justice and access to opportunity through deep relationships with our ongoing pro bono clients and by proactively supporting them in addressing systemic pro bono clients are clients of the firm: we dont distinguish internally between paid work and pro bono and often bring together cross-border cross-practice teams as needed.

Our pro bono clients also benefit from the skills of our business services professionals .And we work with legal teams at our corporate clients to support their pro bono activities and collaborate on projects that meet our shared objectives.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Reporting to the Head of Pro Bono and working closely with the Senior Pro Bono Lawyer this role will involve:

• dealing directly with existing and prospective pro bono clients to scope and develop potential pro bono mandates with a focus on transactional mandates

• maintaining and developing strategic pro bono client relationships

• providing pro bono client advice supervision and internal knowledge support in key legal areas relating to the firms pro bono practice (both local and international with a focus on transactional areas)

• leading on a key global legal research project including strategic oversight (with the matter partner and head of pro bono) and delivery of international collaborative research sessions with colleagues and corporate client lawyers

• internal scoping of new pro bono mandates including ensuring appropriate risk and regulatory checks are carried out and considering regulatory and liability issues as well as the scope and terms of new matters

• liaising with each of the firms practice groups and offices to place new pro bono matters with a particular focus on our transactional teams supporting their areas of pro bono expertise (eg. NGO governance) and exploring further opportunities for pro bono work

• managing access to justice projects and clinics for individuals including managing a personal case load supervising cases and dealing with technical queries from fee earners on ongoing matters

• advising and supporting lawyers on their legal pro bono work including dealing with technical queries from fee earners globally on ongoing pro bono mandates

• assisting with the co-ordination of the firms global pro bono practice in all regions with a particular focus on the firms pro bono practices in Amsterdam and Brussels

• providing creative input on improving and shaping the firms pro bono practice

• delivering internal and external presentations on the firms pro bono practice

• assisting with the internal management of the practice including internal and external communications award submissions and tracking the progress and impact of pro bono matters globally

Key Requirements

• Qualified lawyer (guideline 3 years PQE) with substantial transactional experience

• Substantial prior experience of pro bono work in a law firm context ideally as a pro bono professional

• Prior experience of advising vulnerable individuals

• Solid legal research skills and appetite to develop existing and new areas of legal expertise

• Able to engage effectively with clients fee earners and senior colleagues across a global organisation using strong written and verbal communication skills to influence and quickly gain the confidence of those they advise

• Confident and persuasive public speaker able to deliver clear and engaging presentations to internal and external audiences including senior stakeholders and corporate clients (with prior experience of delivering pro bono client collaborations and/or training sessions to in-house legal teams desirable)

• Able to prioritise act on own initiative and think strategically

• Highly organised and resilient under pressure bringing strong project management skills and excellent attention to detail

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.