Top 5 Pro Bono Trends of 2021

Every year, Paladin produces a report covering pro bono trends and shifts across practice areas, causes, and communities. After analyzing a dataset of nearly 10,000 pro bono engagements across Paladin’s platform, here are the top five takeaways from 2021:

1. Making good on 2020 promises, organizations came together to address and advance racial justice. Along with new initiatives and funds that poured in to support racial justice and equity programs, racial justice-related pro bono matters rose by 5% in 2021 — the largest direct increase across all categories of pro bono work. From expungement clinics to Innocence Project work and clemency projects to police brutality matters, attorneys at law firms and across legal departments are delivering on the commitments they made to better support underserved communities.
2. As the urgency for COVID-related legal assistance for small businesses and nonprofits decreased compared to 2020, so did the need for legal assistance. Nonprofits and social enterprises, which comprised the majority of pro bono clients in the early days of the pandemic, received 4% fewer services in 2021. The critical work that was done towards the beginning of the pandemic led to more readily available resources related to remote work, COVID policies, and government benefits, which helped organizations better respond to the uncertainty of 2021.
3. Immigration work surged 7% as compared to 2020. With borders reopening and conflicts arising (and/or continuing) in places like Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and Venezuela, the need for pro bono assistance has also significantly increased. Courts processing asylum and other immigration-related requests have been backlogged due to COVID, so we expect the timeline for these cases to drag on, and with it, the need for pro bono assistance to continue.
4. The number of pro bono cases related to public benefits and education needs each dropped by approximately 4%. Similar to business-related legal needs early in the pandemic, as the economy has started to stabilize, workers and those unemployed have fewer urgent legal needs. Self-help resources are more widely available, the unemployment system is more navigable, and job opportunities are starting to return. In addition, the return to school regularity (for most) has also lessened the need for urgent childhood education accommodations.
5. Virtual pro bono opportunities continue to comprise the majority of cases. With COVID keeping in-person sessions at bay, teams working from home, and court hearings held via video conferencing, we don’t expect this format to change anytime soon. While online pro bono increases access for those who might have trouble getting to in-person sessions or taking time off, it does limit services to only those who have reliable internet access. Expect a more hybrid approach as Omicron slows down.

Overall, the number of pro bono engagements taken on through Paladin increased 144% over the past 6 months, and cases listed on the system by 220%. We’re thrilled to see that the mobilization we saw in 2020 continued into 2021, and are looking forward to leveraging our technology to place even more matters in 2022!

Have any other insights to share? Feel free to reach out at kristen@joinpaladin.com.