LawWorks

What LawWorks does

LawWorks (legal name: The Solicitors Pro Bono Group) is a UK registered charity (number 1064274) and company limited by guarantee (number 03410932) that operates as a coordination and brokerage body for pro bono legal services across England and Wales. The organisation connects volunteer solicitors, barristers, in-house legal teams, and law students with two principal beneficiary groups: individuals who are ineligible for legal aid and cannot afford legal advice, and small not-for-profit organisations that lack the budget to pay for legal support. Service delivery is structured around multiple programmes including the LawWorks Clinics Network (300+ free legal advice clinics), the Not-for-Profits Programme, the Secondary Specialisation Programme, Pro Bono Connect, the Free Legal Answers online platform, and the UK Pro Bono Portal for matching law firms with pro bono opportunities. LawWorks Cymru extends the same model with a dedicated Wales operation, including the secretariat of the Pro Bono Committee for Wales.

The underlying technology stack is modest but functional: a Free Legal Answers website for asynchronous online pro bono advice, the UK Pro Bono Portal (originally developed by Australia's Justice Connect and adapted for the UK) for law firm casework matching, and case management software to coordinate clinic operations. A separate centralised online platform was launched in partnership with the Law Society to coordinate pro bono legal advice during major incidents. The organisation also operates annual award programmes (LawWorks Pro Bono Awards and the LawWorks & Attorney General's Student Pro Bono Awards) and a range of training, publications, and resources supporting clinical legal education.

LawWorks is funded through a mix of charitable grants, donations, and institutional support from bodies including the City Bridge Trust, The Access to Justice Foundation, and charitable trusts affiliated with law firms (Eversheds Sutherland, Farrer & Co, Simmons & Simmons). Membership fees from law firms, in-house teams, and other organisations provide a recurring revenue stream, with the network exceeding 100 member organisations. All advice provided to end beneficiaries is free. The organisation is governed by a board of trustees, holds Living Wage Employer status, and has no parent company, shareholders, or private equity ownership.

Name

LawWorks

Legal name

LawWorks (The Solicitors Pro Bono Group)

Website

https://lawworks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LawWorks is a UK charity that brokers free pro bono legal advice across England and Wales, connecting 13,000+ volunteer lawyers and 100+ member organisations with individuals ineligible for legal aid and small not-for-profit organisations needing legal support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro Bono Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Free legal advice clinics
• Access to justice
• Volunteer solicitor programmes
• Not-for-profit legal advice

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: LawWorks operates as a registered charity (number 1064274) and relies on donations, charitable grants, and institutional funding to sustain operations. The organization receives support from funders including the City Bridge Trust, The Access to Justice Foundation, and various charitable trusts. Membership fees from law firms and organisations contribute to revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LawWorks is a registered charity that brokers free, confidential legal advice by connecting volunteer solicitors and barristers with individuals ineligible for legal aid and with small not-for-profit organisations across England and Wales. It operates a network of over 300 free legal advice clinics, an online advice platform (Free Legal Answers), a digital pro bono matching portal (UK Pro Bono Portal), and programmes including the Not-for-Profits Programme, Secondary Specialisation, and Pro Bono Connect. Revenue is generated through charitable donations, grants, and membership fees from law firms and in-house legal teams, with all advice provided to end beneficiaries free of charge.

Product overview

LawWorks is a charity that serves as a coordination and brokerage organisation rather than a technology product. It connects volunteer lawyers with people needing legal advice through multiple programmes: the Clinics Network (300+ free legal advice clinics), Not-for-Profits Programme (connecting charities with volunteer solicitors), Secondary Specialisation (deep-dive case support), Pro Bono Connect (barrister-solicitor collaboration), Free Legal Answers (online advice platform), and the UK Pro Bono Portal (digital matching platform). Regional operations include LawWorks Cymru in Wales. LawWorks also coordinates major incident response via the Legal Pro Bono Platform and runs annual award programmes for student and organisational pro bono excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LawWorks Cymru: LawWorks Cymru is the Wales-specific division that provides dedicated support to increase access to justice across Wales, operating across the country with a particular emphasis on developing health/justice partnerships.
• Free Legal Answers
• Pro Bono Connect
• UK Pro Bono Portal
• Legal Pro Bono Platform

Products and services

• LawWorks Clinics Network
• Not-for-Profits Programme Connects small not-for-profit organisations, charities, voluntary bodies and social enterprises in need of legal support with volunteer lawyers to advise on business law matters including leases, contracts, constitution reviews, dispute resolution and honorary counsel.
• Secondary Specialisation Programme Enables pro bono solicitors from member law firms and in-house legal teams to support individuals beyond initial advice, developing expertise in areas of social welfare law where need is significant and supply is limited.
• Pro Bono Connect Links solicitors and barristers acting pro bono on civil matters, enabling seamless pro bono litigation by matching solicitors with barristers when cases require specialist input or representation for individuals, charities and community groups who cannot afford legal advice.
• Free Legal Answers A website that enables individuals on low incomes in England and Wales to access pro bono legal advice by posting legal questions answered by volunteer solicitors.
• UK Pro Bono Portal A digital platform that connects law firms and in-house legal teams with pro bono opportunities for efficient casework matching, originally developed by Justice Connect in Australia and adapted for UK use.
• LawWorks Cymru Wales-based division of LawWorks providing dedicated support to increase access to justice across Wales, operating the Clinics Network, Free Legal Answers, and Not-for-Profits Programme in Wales, and holding the secretariat for the Pro Bono Committee for Wales.
• Major Incidents Pro Bono Platform (Legal Pro Bono Platform) A centralised online platform co-developed with The Law Society to coordinate pro bono legal advice from the legal profession in the event of major incidents such as terrorist attacks and civic disasters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61,000+ people supported with legal advice in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• The Law SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawWorks works in partnership with the Law Society of England and Wales on various pro bono initiatives including the London Pro Bono Panel for terror attack victims and the Major Incidents Response Platform for coordinating emergency pro bono legal advice.
• Pro Bono Connect (Barristers and Solicitors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Bono Connect scheme links solicitors and barristers acting pro bono on civil matters. The scheme enables seamless pro bono litigation service by matching solicitors with barristers when cases require specialist input or representation.
• Pro Bono Committee for WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawWorks Cymru holds the secretariat for the Pro Bono Committee for Wales jointly with Advocate. The committee coordinates pro bono activity across Wales and is co-chaired by Clive Watkins and HHJ Robert Harrison.
• Justice ConnectmajorTechnology or IntegrationJustice Connect originally developed the UK Pro Bono Portal in Australia. Their award-winning portal has been adapted for use in the UK by LawWorks for managing pro bono opportunities and casework.
• Clinical Legal Education Organisation (CLEO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawWorks partners with CLEO on law school pro bono research and reporting, including the Law School Pro Bono and Clinics Report that monitors clinical legal education activities across UK universities.
• Law Centres NetworkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLawWorks works with law centres across England and Wales to coordinate pro bono clinic referrals and support access to justice for vulnerable populations.
• Citizens AdvicemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCitizens Advice bureaus partner with LawWorks to provide referral pathways for clients needing legal advice that exceeds general advice capabilities, and host pro bono clinics.
• MP Offices (Parliamentary Clinics)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawWorks supports MPs in setting up free legal advice clinics in their constituencies, such as the Finchley Free Legal Advice Centre established by Sarah Sackman MP's office.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Justice Connect: Australian not-for-profit that developed the original UK Pro Bono Portal technology later adopted by LawWorks. Operates an analogous pro bono matching infrastructure in Australia for community organisations and individuals.
• Pro Bono Net: US non-profit operating national, state, and local pro bono portals and self-help resources. Comparable as a technology-enabled pro bono infrastructure provider with similar volunteer matching programmes.

Broad incumbents

• TrustLaw (Thomson Reuters Foundation): Global pro bono legal programme of the Thomson Reuters Foundation connecting NGOs and social enterprises with law firms. Comparable as a broker of free legal services, though operating at much larger international scale with broader funder base.
• The Law Society of England and Wales: The professional body for solicitors in England and Wales. LawWorks' core strategic partner on the Major Incidents Response Platform and London Pro Bono Panel, representing the broader legal profession infrastructure in which LawWorks operates.
• PILnet: International non-profit that partners with law firms to develop pro bono legal infrastructure for civil society organisations. Comparable mission of brokering pro bono work for not-for-profits, with cross-border programme scope.

Direct peers

• Citizens Advice: Major UK charity providing free, independent advice including legal advice across England and Wales. Partnered with LawWorks for clinic referrals, operating overlapping service channels for individuals ineligible for legal aid.
• Law Centres Network: UK-wide network of law centres providing free legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford a lawyer. Directly comparable as a parallel free legal advice infrastructure serving similar vulnerable populations in England and Wales.
• Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit): UK charity matching members of the public with barristers willing to act pro bono in meritorious cases. Co-holds secretariat of the Pro Bono Committee for Wales with LawWorks and operates a closely aligned pro bono matching model.

Regional players

• Mary Ward Legal Centre: London-based charity providing free legal advice to people unable to access legal aid. Comparable as a community-focused free legal advice charity serving vulnerable populations with similar funding and volunteer models.

Others

• The Access to Justice Foundation: UK funder and supporter of the free legal advice sector that funds LawWorks programmes. Comparable ecosystem role as a grantmaker specifically targeting access-to-justice initiatives in England and Wales.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Law_Works
• Facebookfacebook.com/LawWorks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3082110

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about LawWorks