Advocate

What Advocate does

Advocate (legally the Bar Pro Bono Unit, Charity No: 1057620, Company No: 3237309) is a UK-registered charity founded in 1996 that operates as the Bar of England and Wales's national pro bono matching service. It connects members of the public who cannot obtain legal aid and cannot afford representation with volunteer barristers willing to donate their time and expertise, across every area of law, court, and tribunal in England and Wales. The organisation also runs structured programmes including the Chambers Pro Bono Framework (50+ participating chambers), the Pupil Pledge, Birmingham CLIPS (on-the-day advocacy in the Business and Property Court), Mentoring, Bar in the Community, and the annual Bar Pro Bono Awards and Pro Bono Recognition List endorsed by the Lady Chief Justice.

The technology footprint is modest: a Zenario CMS website at weareadvocate.org.uk, a TFA Forms online application portal for applicants, a Panel Members' Extranet where barristers browse and accept cases by region and category (Advice/Drafting vs. Representation), and a MyBar portal integration that captures £35 donations during barristers' annual Authorisation to Practise renewal. Casework is handled manually by a small staff team including a Director of Casework and circuit caseworkers embedded in each of England's and Wales's circuits.

The revenue model is entirely donation-based. Over 40% of annual income derives from ATP-cycle donations by practising barristers; the remainder comes from individual giving, organisational giving (primarily chambers), and fundraising events. The service is free to applicants. Advocate is governed as a company limited by guarantee, chaired by Sharif A. Shivji KC, and underwent a CEO transition in late September 2026 when Christopher Stacey succeeded Rebecca Wilkie.

Name

Advocate

Legal name

Bar Pro Bono Unit

Website

https://weareadvocate.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Advocate is the Bar of England and Wales's national pro bono charity, founded in 1996, that matches individuals unable to obtain legal aid or afford representation with volunteer barristers across every area of law and every circuit in England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro Bono Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Legal aid charity
• Barrister matching service
• Access to justice
• Free legal representation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Authorisation to Practise Donations: Barristers are invited to donate £35 during their annual practising certificate renewal through MyBar portal. These donations make up over 40% of annual income.
2. Individual Donations: General donations from individuals supporting access to justice.
3. Organisational Giving: Support from chambers and other organisations through the Chambers Pro Bono Framework and other giving programmes.
4. Fundraising: Events, challenges, and student fundraising initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Advocate is the Bar's national pro bono charity that matches members of the public who need free legal help with volunteer barristers in England and Wales. The organization runs a casework matching service across all areas of law and courts/tribunals, funded entirely through donations, primarily from barristers during their annual practising certificate renewal. It also operates supporting programs including the Chambers Pro Bono Framework, Pupil Pledge, Mentoring Scheme, and Bar Pro Bono Awards.

Product overview

Advocate is a charity that operates as the Bar's national pro bono organization, functioning as a matching service that connects members of the public who need free legal help with volunteer barristers. The core offering is the Barrister Case Matching Service, supported by an Online Application System for applicants and a Panel Members' Extranet for barristers to browse and accept cases. Additional programs include Birmingham CLIPS (on-the-day advocacy in Birmingham courts), the Chambers Pro Bono Framework (chambers-level pro bono commitments), Pupil Pledge (for newly qualified barristers), Mentoring Scheme, Bar in the Community initiative, Bar Pro Bono Awards, and the Pro Bono Recognition List. The organization does not offer a technology product in the traditional SaaS sense but rather coordinates volunteer legal services through manual casework and an online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Barrister Case Matching Service A service that matches members of the public who need free legal help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise in deserving cases for those who are unable to obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay. Operates across all areas of law and all courts and tribunals in England and Wales.
• Online Application System A web-based system allowing members of the public to apply for free legal help through an online application form accessible via TFAForms. Applicants complete the form and the casework team reviews and matches applications with suitable volunteer barristers.
• Birmingham CLIPS (Chambers Legal Information and Support) An on-the-day advice and advocacy scheme for unrepresented parties appearing on the Interim Applications List of the Business and Property Court in Birmingham. Run in partnership with MCCBA and St Philips Chambers.
• Chambers Pro Bono Framework A framework establishing pro bono commitments within barristers' chambers, with over 50 participating chambers across England and Wales signing up to support Advocate's mission. Includes Pro Bono Champions and structured engagement approaches.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of service connecting vulnerable people with free legal help
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

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

• Midland Chancery and Commercial Bar Association (MCCBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2024Partnership with MCCBA to establish Birmingham CLIPS (Chambers Legal Information and Support), providing on-the-day advice and advocacy for unrepresented parties in the Business and Property Court. Partnership marked with celebratory reception for second anniversary.
• St Philips ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2024Partner in Birmingham CLIPS scheme. Generously hosted the anniversary reception for Birmingham CLIPS. Key supporters of the scheme with volunteers from the chambers actively involved.
• Bar CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvocate is the pro bono charity of the Bar and supported by the Bar Council. Operates within the Bar ecosystem with endorsement and support for access to justice initiatives.
• Lady Chief Justice of England and WalescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPatron of the Pro Bono Recognition List. Endorses Advocate's work and the Bar's pro bono contributions to access to justice.
• Participating Chambers (Chambers Pro Bono Framework)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 50 chambers across England and Wales have signed up to the Chambers Pro Bono Framework, establishing structured pro bono engagement. Includes chambers like Ropewalk Chambers, St Philips Chambers, Deans Court Chambers, Doughty Street Chambers, and many more.
• Bar Standards Board (BSB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Authorisation to Practise (ATP) process includes option to donate to Advocate, enabling barristers to support access to justice during their practising certificate renewal.
• LexisNexismajorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor of the 2026 Bar Pro Bono Awards, making the annual event possible. Returning sponsor demonstrating commitment to supporting access to justice.
• Inner TemplemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerously hosts the Bar Pro Bono Awards ceremony, providing the venue for the annual celebration of pro bono excellence.
• Instant on ITminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of drinks reception at the 2026 Bar Pro Bono Awards.
• Access to Justice FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCourt of Appeal awarded £1,000 in pro bono costs to the Access to Justice Foundation to help fund further free legal advice from cases where Advocate helps.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LawWorks: LawWorks is the solicitors' counterpart to Advocate: a national pro bono charity that matches members of the public with volunteer solicitors in England and Wales. Directly comparable in mission, operating model, and target population, with overlapping but legally distinct volunteer pools.
• Free Representation Unit (FRU): FRU provides free legal representation through volunteer barristers and solicitors in tribunals across England and Wales. Highly comparable to Advocate in volunteer-base composition, target population, and case-matching model, with a narrower tribunal-focused remit.
• Law Centres Network: Law Centres Network is a federation of locally funded charities that provide legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford a lawyer. Directly comparable target population and service area (housing, employment, family), with casework model rather than volunteer matching.
• Access to Justice Foundation: The Access to Justice Foundation is a charity that coordinates funding and capacity-building for the civil legal advice sector in England and Wales. Directly comparable nonprofit mission, and explicitly referenced in Advocate's own case materials as the recipient of pro bono costs awards generated by Advocate-assisted cases.

Emerging players

• APPEAL: APPEAL is a pro bono charity that tackles miscarriages of justice through investigative and legal casework, including barrister involvement. It overlaps with Advocate on the barrister-led pro bono model but focuses on criminal appeals and systemic advocacy rather than civil case matching.
• Howard League for Penal Reform: The Howard League is a UK charity providing pro bono legal interventions in the criminal justice system, frequently working with barristers. Partial overlap with Advocate on access-to-justice mission and barrister volunteer pool, but focused exclusively on prisons and criminal justice.
• Reprieve: Reprieve is a legal action charity that uses volunteer lawyers and barristers to fight human rights abuses and wrongful detention cases. Comparable in barrister-led pro bono model and rights-based mission, with an international rather than domestic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice: Citizens Advice is the largest generalist advice charity in England and Wales, providing social welfare law advice to millions each year. Broader in scope than Advocate but addresses a meaningfully overlapping client base (people who cannot afford representation) across housing, family, and employment.

Others

• Legal Aid Agency: The Legal Aid Agency is the UK government body that administers civil and criminal legal aid funding. Not a peer in service delivery, but the principal funder and policy counterpart whose decisions directly determine Advocate's eligible applicant pool and addressable demand.
• Bar Council: The Bar Council is the professional body for barristers in England and Wales and supports Advocate as the Bar's national pro bono charity. Acts as an enabling institutional partner rather than a competitor, but its regulatory role and BSB coordination is foundational to the ATP donation mechanism that funds Advocate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WeAreAdvocate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weareadvocate

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 Advocate