The pledge asks corporate legal teams to build pro bono work into their organisations. It was launched in April 2024 by the In House Pro Bono Group, the GC100 and the National Pro Bono Centre, and is endorsed by LawWorks and Advocate.

The three companies join signatories including Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Goldman Sachs, GSK, ITV and Whitbread. The pledge also requires members to ask their main external law firms and chambers to report on their pro bono work.

The announcement comes amid rising demand for free legal advice. LawWorks and the National Pro Bono Centre reported that enquiries to clinics in the LawWorks network increased 17.5 per cent year on year to more than 106,000 in 2025. About 26,000 people went without advice, up from 24,000 in 2024.

Separate research for the centre by Pragmatix Advisory found that 87 per cent of legal support charities would close, reduce services or limit the number of clients they could help if pro bono support ended.

Signatories commit to appointing a pro bono champion, tracking hours and projects, and encouraging at least 25 per cent of UK-based in-house lawyers to complete at least one hour of pro bono work in the first year. The target rises to 35 per cent in the second year and 50 per cent in the third.

The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, said: “The In House Pro Bono Pledge exists to make participation practical and measurable for busy legal teams. It encourages a culture of pro bono work and highlights the important role that it plays in improving access to justice and supporting communities.”