Submissions are now open for the third edition of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s annual TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, a global survey of free legal support.

The foundation launched the TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono in 2014 to provide analysis on the key national, regional and global trends shaping the pro bono marketplace, and to assess the pro bono participation of law firms on a country by country basis.

The survey highlights trends in pro bono markets from Cambodia to Germany to Colombia, focusing on successful programmes as well as identifying gaps in pro bono participation. It also recognises the role of local law firms in advancing pro bono, challenging the conventional notion that international law firms are better resourced to commit to pro bono practices.
 
The 2015 edition of the survey found two million hours of free legal support provided by the 140 respondent firms across 76 countries, and an average of 43 hours of free legal assistance invested annually by individual lawyers.

This year, the Thomson Reuters Foundation will collect pro bono data from more jurisdictions and law firms to build a broader picture of the global pro bono landscape.

Law firms are invited to submit their pro bono data through an online survey before May 23. Findings of the 2016 TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono will be unveiled on July 18.