On 4 March 2011 the Faculty of Law launched the Cambridge Pro Bono Project with a lecture delivered by Professor Philippe Sands QC.
Professor Sands spoke about the importance of pro bono legal work both as an academic and a legal practitioner. Drawing on his wealth of experience and personal anecdotes, he encouraged students to take chances that might lead them down the path of public interest law. He stressed the personal and professional fulfillment that comes from doing pro bono work and reflected positively on the increased opportunities for students in the United Kingdom to get involved in public interest law.
The Cambridge Pro Bono Project has been established within the Faculty to provide postgraduate students with opportunities to engage with the law in a practical way, and to develop the skills and values central to the provision of pro bono legal work.
This year the Project has already undertaken three major projects, including a submission to the Australian Attorney General, a detailed brief for the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and a memoranda for the Harvard Human Rights Clinic and NYU Center for Human Rights and Global Justice.
The Project is overseen by an Executive Committee, comprising Dr Guglielmo Verdirame (Faculty Chair), Professor David Feldman, Dr Catherine MacKenzie, Jason Pobjoy (Student Chair), Amanda Marzullo, Claire Nielsen, Saleema Khimji, Federica Paddeu and Kate Purcell.
If you would like any further information on the project please refer to the Cambridge Pro Bono Project website or contact the Executive Committee at cpp@law.cam.ac.uk.