Pro Bono
The well-being of our firm and the well-being of the community in which we operate are indivisibly connected. As we prosper, we have a responsibility to contribute to our society and community.
It's not just about being exceptional employers and embracing responsible business practices; it's about contributing from our resources to make a positive impact.
Providing legal advice and service free of charge (pro bono), is one of the ways we discharge that responsibility. We are very committed to our pro bono practice, and we contribute to society through many avenues via pro bono legal advice.
We firmly believe in allocating a portion of our time and expertise to helping individuals who could not otherwise afford to pay for legal services. This promotes the Rule of Law and enables more citizens to participate fully in the life of the country.
Key initiatives
Kids in Need of Defence (KIND) Project
We provide pro bono legal services to the Kids In Need of Defence (KIND) project, by preparing family reunification applications for unaccompanied refugee children.
The KIND project is a global initiative which matches volunteer lawyers with unaccompanied minors who are in need of legal representation and assistance. In Ireland, it is operated through a joint collaboration between the Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Irish Refugee Council.
We partnered with the KIND project to act for unaccompanied refugee children, who have already been granted refugee status, with the aim of reuniting them with their family of origin.
Red Cross Ukraine Legal Clinics
We are part of the Ukraine Ireland Legal Alliance, which provides legal advice and resources to organisations that support people who have had to flee from Ukraine to Ireland as a result of the war, to individual displaced people, and to people hosting them in Ireland.
Along with other members of the legal community, we are involved in the running of legal information clinics with the Irish Red Cross. Supported by volunteer interpreters, the workshops are delivered in Ukrainian and are held in a Ukrainian Community Centre.
The legal needs of Ukrainians situated in Ireland have become more complex as the war continues and, based on feedback, the clinics continue to evolve and adapt to best meet their needs.
Thomson Reuters Foundation & Mason Hayes & Curran LLP: Social Enterprises in Ireland - Legal Structures Guide
Partner Nick Metcalfe and Senior Associate Emma Lawrence partnered with the Thomson Reuters Foundation to develop their Legal Structuring Guide for Social Enterprises in Ireland. The Guide was then launched during the Irish Government's National Social Enterprise Conference on 19 November 2020. It provides an overview of the range of legal structures that are available to social entrepreneurs in Ireland, as well as tools to help with selecting the most appropriate legal structure for a particular organisation.
The Guide features case studies from five established Irish social enterprises that have adopted different types of legal structure. Rethink Ireland, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, Irish Social Enterprise Network and the Department of Rural & Community Development also contributed to the guide.
Download the Social Enterprises in Ireland - Legal Structures Guide or get in touch with TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono legal programme.
