ABA ROLI hosts a National (virtual) Summit to promote Pro Bono work in the Philippines, reaching over 350 lawyers across the private and public sector
On December 3, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) hosted a “National Pro Bono Summit: Promoting Pro Bono Lawyering in the Philippines” via Zoom. ABA ROLI hosted the Summit with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the cooperation of the Philippine Supreme Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), within the framework of ABA ROLI’s five-year program, Access to Justice and Support for the Rule of Law in the Philippines, a USAID-funded program under the PROGRESS Consortium. Over 350 participants attended the virtual summit, spanning private sector lawyers, rule of law and access to justice advocates, civil service lawyers, judges, civil society organizations, law alumni associations, and aspiring lawyers from various law schools across the country.
ABA ROLI and its partners in advancing Access to Justice in the Philippines, the Supreme Court and IBP, aimed to localize the conversation on why it is the opportune time for Filipino lawyers, particularly firms in the top tier, to develop a more strategic approach to supporting pro bono work within their law firms. Pro bono is shorthand for the Latin phrase, “pro bono publica”, or “for the common good”. Pro bono work in the context of lawyering generally means to provide legal services for free or at a reduced cost.
Philippine Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, who delivered the Keynote Address, connected the current need for pro bono legal aid with what he called “the greatest injustice”: the inability to defend one’s rights. Referencing the Constitution, the Chief Justice also emphasized that, “when those in need are denied access to justice, no amount of trust and confidence can be achieved [in the judicial system].”
Mr. Domingo Cayosa, the President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and an esteemed human rights advocate, shared the efforts of the IBP to encourage its members to do more pro bono work.
Mr. Domingo Cayosa, the President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and an esteemed human rights advocate, shared the efforts of the IBP to encourage its members to do more pro bono work.
The distinguished panel of speakers for the summit included Mr. Jonathan Olier of White and Case in Singapore, Mr. Aaron Chan of DLA Piper in Hong Kong, and Mr. Ramon Alcasabas of Cruz Marcelo and Tenefrancia in Manila. Also joining the panel of speakers was Mr. Marlon Valderama of LexMeet Incorporated, the pioneering legal technology company in the Philippines and winner of Global Future Makers, a corporate social responsibility initiative of one of the Philippines’ largest telecommunications networks.
ABA ROLI conducted a survey during the Summit to gather general information about the attendees and to ask participants to identify factors that best contribute to successful pro bono lawyering.
ABA ROLI conducted a survey during the Summit to gather general information about the attendees and to ask participants to identify factors that best contribute to successful pro bono lawyering.
Of the 154 respondents, 105 are lawyers, with 92 of them engaged in pro bono lawyering. Around 60% of the 92 pro bono lawyers belong to the private sector; 27% belong to the government sector; and 11% from academia.
Most of the common issues/cases handled by pro bono lawyers are those related to land and property, labor and employment, family feud, human rights abuses, and money claims. Other issues/cases handled by respondents involved criminal cases, Shari‘a cases, violence against women, and those involving oversees Filipino workers, indigent clients, and graft cases of government employees.
The results of the survey also indicate that the lawyers’ personal passion for advocacy and for providing pro bono legal services is of paramount importance, along with support from their employers— financial resources and time availability— to work on pro bono cases during work hours.
Learn more about ABA ROLI's work across Asia and the Pacific.
The results of the survey also indicate that the lawyers’ personal passion for advocacy and for providing pro bono legal services is of paramount importance, along with support from their employers— financial resources and time availability— to work on pro bono cases during work hours.
Learn more about ABA ROLI's work across Asia and the Pacific.
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