North & Central America

Select the country below to learn about the culture and provision of pro bono legal services in that jurisdiction.

Canada has a rich tradition of promoting access to justice through, among other things, legal aid and pro bono legal assistance.

Recent years have seen great strides in the promotion of pro bono activities in Costa Rica.

The Dominican Republic’s legal community is increasingly recognizing the value of pro bono and its influence on advancing democracy and justice.

Several organizations provide free legal services to disadvantaged groups in Jordan and can offer opportunities for pro bono engagement.

Guatemalan lawyers have long provided free legal work to people in need, but more formal pro bono engagement has only started to emerge.

Reforming the Haitian legal system and improving lawyer training are essential conditions for the further development of pro bono practice in Haiti.

Pro bono legal services in Mexico fulfil an important role and compensate for the gaps left by the legal aid institutions.

The provision of pro bono services in Nicaragua has increased in recent years with NGO and private law firm engagement.

Pro bono activity in Panama is developming, but there is need for institutions and clearinghouses to facilitate further growth.

There is widespread pro bono engagement in the US among non-profits, private law firms, individual practitioners and in-house counsel.

*Chapter not updated from 2015.