Pro bono means professional work done voluntarily and without payment, usually “for the public good.”

Quick Scoop

  • The phrase comes from Latin: “pro bono publico,” which literally means “for the public good.”
  • Today it most often refers to lawyers providing free legal services to people who cannot afford them or to causes that serve the public interest or social justice.
  • The core idea is: skilled professionals donate their time and expertise, with no expectation of normal commercial fees, to help individuals, communities, or public‑interest projects.

A quick example

If a lawyer represents a low‑income tenant for free in an eviction case because the tenant cannot afford legal fees, that representation is considered pro bono legal work.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.