The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted major trauma on low-income and marginalized British Columbians over the past two years. Many people in our communities continue to experience financial strain, housing insecurity, unemployment, and other hardships. Demand for our legal services has not abated—our Pro Bono Going Public event is as critical as ever to the BC communities that we serve.

As we transition out of the pandemic, we are happy to announce Pro Bono Going Public’s return to two in-person locations in 2022: the Surrey Civic Plaza and the Vancouver Art Gallery. The 15th annual Pro Bono Going Public event will follow a hybrid model, with lawyers offering free legal advice at virtual and in-person clinics. Its service and publicity campaign will reach every BC city and town. Together, we will continue to demonstrate how much BC lawyers care about access to justice in every community.

The event will run for two weeks (Monday to Friday) from September 7 to 21. Volunteer lawyers will select one or more hour-long telephone or in-person shifts. They can then solicit charitable donations in support of their pro bono contributions. Clients will be low and modest income British Columbians in urgent need of free legal advice. Telephone appointments will be scheduled with ample time for conflict checks, and in-person clinics will allow for pre-scheduled and drop-in appointments.

Last year’s event saw a record 203 volunteer lawyers provide free legal advice to 402 British Columbians in need. The event raised an incredible $135,302 in support of access to justice in BC. With the legal community behind us, we’re hopeful we can exceed last year’s totals.