Asia, Australia & New Zealand

Select the country below to learn about the culture and provision of pro bono legal services in that jurisdiction.

Pro bono legal services remain an increasingly important focus for lawyers and law firms throughout Australia.

Though still new in China both as a theory and a practice, pro bono assistance can help address needs unmet by the Chinese legal aid system.

The term pro bono has become very “topical” in recent years within Hong Kong’s legal community.

While pro bono work is supported in Indian law, the provision of pro bono services faces a number of challenges.

Indonesia’s pro bono culture is slowly emerging, but requires further active support from the country’s lawyers.

Japan’s comprehensive legal aid system has limited the need for, and development of, pro bono engagement.

There is no central clearinghouse for the coordination of pro bono efforts by private practitioners in Malaysia.

Two-thirds of law firms in New Zealand report spending 1-5% of their practice time on pro bono work.

In Pakistan, local NGOs, law firms and international organizations are engaged in direct representation and broader reform work.

There is significant need for pro bono legal assistance in the Philippines and for educating society on the availability of such assistance.

The Singapore legal community has made a number of efforts to encourage participation in pro bono legal services.

Pro bono culture in South Korea transformed with the enactment of a mandatory 30-hour per year pro bono requirement in 2000.

Passage of the Legal Aid Act in 2004 created momentum for the development of pro bono culture in Taiwan.

Despite a strong culture of community service and volunteerism, Thailand’s pro bono culture is still relatively undeveloped.

Recent legal developments in Vietnam may pave the way for greater development of legal aid and pro bono.