Pro Bono Institute

What Pro Bono Institute does

Pro Bono Institute (PBI) is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded in 1996 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that serves as the standard-setting catalyst organization for pro bono legal services in the United States and globally. PBI's core function is administering three flagship Challenge initiatives — the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge (celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026), and the Global Pro Bono Guide (covering 100+ jurisdictions in its sixth edition) — that establish measurement and reporting frameworks for pro bono participation. In 2025, law firm Challenge signatories collectively performed 5.14 million hours of pro bono work.

PBI's product portfolio also includes the Clinic in a Box program, consulting services, CLE-accredited webinars distributed through West LegalEdcenter, the PBEye blog, the Pro Bono Wire newsletter, the Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast, and recurring events such as the Annual Conference, Annual Dinner (including the John H. Pickering Award), Financial Institution Pro Bono Day, and EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day. Underlying technology is a standard web platform augmented by third-party services including West LegalEdcenter (CLE delivery), Google Analytics (web analytics), CeriFi (webinar production), and PayPal (donations). PBI operates with 11–50 staff and a small leadership team including a Development Director and Associate Director of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project.

PBI's business model is donation-based: as a 501(c)(3), it is funded primarily by charitable contributions from individuals, law firms, corporations, and foundations, supplemented by event sponsorships and modest fee revenue from paid webinar access. Its go-to-market is relationship-led, engaging AmLaw firms and corporate general counsel directly to recruit signatories to its Challenge frameworks, and convening the pro bono community through flagship events, awards programs, and content. Customer segments are three-sided: major law firms, corporate legal departments (financial services, pharmaceutical, energy, technology), and public interest organizations, with the Global Pro Bono Guide and Justice in Action initiative extending reach to 60+ in-house legal departments and a network of NGO implementation partners.

Name

Pro Bono Institute

Legal name

Pro Bono Institute

Website

https://probonoinst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pro Bono Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that administers the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge and Corporate Pro Bono Challenge, providing measurement frameworks, resources, and convening platforms to major law firms, corporate legal departments, and public interest organizations across 100+ jurisdictions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services Nonprofit Advocacy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Legal aid advocacy
• Access to justice
• Law firm consulting
• Nonprofit legal initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: PBI operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and relies on charitable donations from individuals, law firms, corporations, and foundations to fund operations. The organization invites donations through its website to support its mission of expanding pro bono legal services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Pro Bono Institute (PBI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers structured pro bono Challenge initiatives, publishes the Global Pro Bono Guide and PBI Challenge Reports, hosts annual conferences and special events, delivers CLE-accredited webinars, provides consulting services, and operates resource programs (including the Clinic in a Box Program) to support, enhance, and expand pro bono legal services among major law firms and corporate legal departments.

Product overview

Pro Bono Institute (PBI) operates as a catalyst organization administering multiple interconnected projects and programs that support, guide, and inspire legal institutions to enhance access to justice. The organization functions as a platform with three core challenge initiatives (Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, Corporate Pro Bono Challenge, and Global Pro Bono Guide), supported by educational resources (Webinars, PBI Challenge Reports, Pro Bono Wire newsletter, PBEye Blog), events (Annual Conference, Annual Dinner, special events like Financial Institution Pro Bono Day), and consulting services (Clinic in a Box Program, Consulting Services). The products work together to aggregate pro bono data, provide guidance, facilitate connections between law firms and corporations, and recognize excellence through awards. PBI has shaped the global pro bono movement since 1996, with the organization celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge An initiative where law firms commit to contributing either 3% or 5% of total billable hours to pro bono legal services. Signatories report annually on their pro bono performance and gain access to PBI membership programs, resources, and convening events.
• Corporate Pro Bono Challenge An initiative for in-house corporate legal departments to commit to pro bono participation, tracking U.S. lawyers and legal staff participation rates. The 2026 Corporate Report marks the 20th anniversary of the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge initiative.
• Global Pro Bono Guide Comprehensive jurisdiction-specific guide supporting and strengthening pro bono practice globally, released in partnership with Latham & Watkins and Thomson Reuters Foundation, covering 100+ jurisdictions.
• Clinic in a Box Program A resource program enabling organizations to set up legal clinics with pre-packaged materials and guidance for delivering pro bono legal services.
• Consulting Services Professional consulting services offered by PBI to help firms, corporations, and public interest organizations develop and enhance their pro bono programs.
• Webinars
• Annual Conference
• Annual Dinner
• Financial Institution Pro Bono Day
• EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day
• PBI Challenge Reports Annual reports (Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Report and Corporate Pro Bono Challenge Report) analyzing pro bono performance data from reporting signatories, released each June.
• Collaborative Justice Project
• ExpertConnect

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.14 million hours of pro bono performed by law firm signatories in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Thomson Reuters FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the sixth edition of the Global Pro Bono Guide, expanding coverage to 100+ jurisdictions worldwide. This is the most comprehensive edition to date, providing practical jurisdiction-specific guidance to support and strengthen pro bono practice globally.
• Latham & WatkinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with PBI on the Global Pro Bono Guide, contributing to expanded coverage from 84 jurisdictions in 2019 to 100+ jurisdictions worldwide.
• Practising Law Institute (PLI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with PLI provides accreditation services and learning opportunities around the world. PLI provides programming helpful to firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations, generally offering CLE credits.
• West LegalEdcentermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for PBI webinar content. On-demand programs available through West LegalEdcenter, with free access for Law Firm Pro Bono Project member firms.
• CeriFimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduces PBI's webinar series in conjunction with PBI. Programs offer CLE credits and cover topics from annual conferences and evolving pro bono issues.
• Welcome.UScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition to support newcomers seeking refuge in the U.S. PBI partner Accenture co-leads the Welcome.US CEO Council and has partnered with Welcome.US to serve Afghan refugees with over 1,100 pro bono hours contributed.
• Welcome Legal Alliance (WLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership among Welcome.US, American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, Human Rights First, Immigration Justice Campaign, and VECINA. PBI partner Accenture has contributed over 1,100 pro bono hours serving 660+ WLA clients.
• Baker McKenziecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead law firm partner in Justice in Action initiative, a collaborative pro bono program with 60+ legal departments. Since May 2021, 3,391 participants have created capacity-building tools for NGOs serving vulnerable populations.
• McGuireWoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dominion Energy creating a medical-legal partnership with VCU Health. Over 110 lawyers have volunteered, serving 75+ patients with 50+ active cases. 2022 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award recipient.
• Dominion EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with McGuireWoods creating medical-legal partnership with VCU Health. More than 61% of Dominion's lawyers have volunteered. 2022 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award recipient.
• DLA PipercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner15-year pro bono partnership with Pfizer. Includes NYU Cancer Center Legal Health Clinic (assisting nearly 2,000 patients), National Center for Access to Justice work, Zambia legal training, and immigrant children's representation.
• New Perimeter (DLA Piper Nonprofit)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDLA Piper's nonprofit affiliate providing long-term pro bono legal assistance in underserved regions. Partnered with Pfizer for legal writing training at University of Zambia Law School.
• Global Initiative on Justice With ChildrenmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJustice in Action partnership focused on creating city-specific guides for youth interacting with police, containing information about state, federal, and municipal laws.
• American Bar Association Children's Rights Litigation CommitteemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJustice in Action partnership focusing on laws and regulations around detaining children for mental health issues. Work to be published globally.
• Global Rights for Women and Every Woman TreatymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJustice in Action partnership preparing global comparative law tool to assess domestic violence laws across 73 countries, with 500+ volunteers identifying gaps between human rights standards and existing laws.
• Lambda LegalmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJustice in Action partnership developing legal map for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness, covering topics like medical consent, anti-discrimination laws, and emancipation.
• VCU HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical-legal partnership with Dominion Energy and McGuireWoods, expanding from 2018 launch to serve patients in five areas: educational advocacy, family law, immigration, housing law, and life-planning documents.
• Goldberg KohnmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with McDonald's and NIJC for asylum representation since December 2015. Approximately 20% of McDonald's law department attorneys have participated.
• Jenner & BlockmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with McDonald's and NIJC for asylum representation. Over 30 years, firm has provided 1.7 million hours of pro bono service. Made $250 million commitment for 2021-2025.
• National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReferral partner for asylum cases with McDonald's, Goldberg Kohn, and Jenner & Block partnership. Provides legal services to 9,000+ individuals annually with 90% asylum success rate.
• United Way of Southwestern IndianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient under Empowering Employment Pathway initiative. PBI-affiliated Pro Bono Indiana received funding for childcare, transportation, and workforce training services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pro Bono Net: A nonprofit that builds technology and training to support the pro bono and civil legal aid ecosystem, directly comparable as a fellow catalyst organization focused on expanding pro bono legal services across the U.S.
• American Bar Association — Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service: Operates the ABA's pro bono recognition programs (including the Pro Bono Publico Award) and Free Legal Answers platform, comparable as another institutional convener for pro bono participation across the legal profession.
• National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): The national membership organization for civil legal aid and public defender organizations, comparable as a peer nonprofit that convenes and advocates for the access-to-justice ecosystem PBI serves.
• OneJustice: A California-based nonprofit that builds pro bono infrastructure and capacity for legal aid organizations, comparable to PBI's Clinic in a Box and consulting resources for scaling pro bono delivery.
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: A national nonprofit that mobilizes private lawyers to undertake civil rights pro bono work, overlapping with PBI's law-firm-activation mission around civil legal services.
• PILnet: An international nonprofit that builds pro bono networks for civil society across borders, directly comparable to PBI's Global Pro Bono project and cross-border convening function.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC): The global membership association for in-house counsel, comparable as a broader organization serving corporate legal departments that PBI engages through the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge.
• National Center for State Courts: A nonprofit that improves court systems and access to justice at the state level, comparable as a broader access-to-justice institution adjacent to PBI's pro bono focus.
• International Bar Association: The global organization for legal practitioners, comparable as a broader international legal professional body that overlaps with PBI's global pro bono mission.

Emerging players

• Lawyers Without Borders: A nonprofit that engages volunteer lawyers on international rule-of-law projects, comparable as a niche pro bono mobilizer intersecting with PBI's global programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/probonoinst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ProBonoInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/336371

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pro Bono Institute