TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono 2026: Pre-submission checklist

This checklist is designed to help you prepare before you start the survey. It outlines the data we request for each section of the survey and where you can find it. Points to note:

1. Pro bono practice information, as well as partner-level and budget data, are used for analysis and published only in aggregated and anonymous form.

2. The Index produces global, regional and country-level benchmarks, as opposed to rankings, on pro bono engagement. As such, the average number of hours of pro bono per fee earner, and the percentage of fee earners at a firm performing ten or more hours of pro bono, are publicly associated with firms.

Survey section	Index questions	Where you can find this data
1. About you and your firm	Basic details of the firm Jurisdictions/countries where the firm has offices Global headcount Global revenue	HR headcount reporting by office/jurisdiction Annual reports or finance department
2. Pro bono practice	Eligibility process for pro bono cases	Guidance or eligibility rules the firm has adopted Risk/compliance assessments that apply to pro bono work
3. Pro bono staffing and teams	Pro bono staffing structures, coordination, committees and champions Seniority of staff coordinating or managing pro bono	Pro bono leads/coordinators (if any) Pro bono committee terms of reference (if any) Internal staffing and governance structures
4. Pro bono clients and priorities	Types of pro bono clients and delivery How pro bono work is sourced Areas of focus for your pro bono work	Pro bono matters list (case/matter management system, clearinghouse portal exports, or internal tracker) Relationships with NGOs/clearinghouses/community partners Pro bono strategy/responsible business plan/impact priority areas Ask key partners/practice groups what they commonly take on (if ad hoc)
5. Incentivising and rewarding pro bono	Pro bono incentives for fee earners and partners Billable hour and utilisation targets for pro bono work	Time credit policy, in pro bono policy and/or time recording guidance (if any) HR performance and progression frameworks Partner performance/recognition frameworks HR/senior management
6. Pro bono budgets	Pro bono budgets Pro bono donations	Pro bono department/team (if any) Finance department
7. Technology and AI in pro bono	AI adoption and use in pro bono work	Information security and data handling rules (if any) Practice guidance on AI (if any) Ask practitioners what tools they use and what approvals are required (if ad hoc)
8. Pro bono impact	Measurement, use, and communication of impact by the firm	Annual pro bono/ESG update (if any) What is captured in case/matter closure forms, partner feedback, and NGO partner reporting (if any) Partner/NGO feedback and internal examples used for reporting (if qualitative)
9. Challenges, opportunities, and looking ahead	Opportunities to strengthen or grow pro bono practices Challenges with engaging in pro bono	Qualitative inputs from the people doing the work (partners, associates, and/or coordinators) Themes from recent matters (capacity, conflicts, supervision and/or resourcing)
10. Pro bono data	Qualifying Fee Earner Data per jurisdiction Headcount Total recorded hours Number of Qualifying Fee Earners who recorded 10+ hours of Qualifying Pro Bono time Number of Qualifying Fee Earners who recorded any time on Qualifying Pro Bono matters Qualifying Partner Data per jurisdiction Headcount of Partners Total recorded hours by Partners Number of Partners who recorded 10+ hours of Qualifying Pro Bono time Number of Partners who recorded any time on Qualifying Pro Bono matters N.B. Partner hours and headcount are included in the total Fee Earner figures above	Time recording mechanism/timesheets (only for qualifying pro bono work) HR headcount (of fee earners and partners) separately for each jurisdiction

Additional questions

If you have any additional questions, you can contact the team at [email protected].