Law Update: Voluntary work

Solicitors should be encouraged to provide more voluntary legal services, according to a report published this week by the Law Society's pro bono working party. There is a place, the report concludes, for low cost and free legal services that complement but do not replace legal aid, and rejects the notion of any mandatory element. It recommends a series of measures, including the establishment of a trust fund run by voluntary contributions from law firms, and a placement service for unemployed and trainee solicitors in advice centres.