Pro Bono Project, Legally Green will be hosting an event where academics from the Law school, as well as guest speakers, will present short lectures on a topic related to climate change and the law. The event will conclude with a discussion panel and a Q&A.

From 5-7 pm in the Peter Williams Lecture Theatre, University of Leicester.

Registration: contact sj405@leicester.le.ac.uk

Dr Paul Stookes explores the City, University of London pro-bono work being carried on in conjunction with the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF), exploring how climate change commitments are being realised and put into effect.

The need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has never been more real with the extreme summer heat and droughts being followed intense storms, flooding with loss of life and livelihoods. The link between man-made climate change and extreme weather events is now uncontroversial and most UK governments at a national and local level have set themselves ambitious targets to reduce the level of GHG emissions by 2030. However, it is not all clear that they are close to meeting the carbon reduction commitments. 

The ELF pro-bono project 2022-23 builds upon earlier ground-breaking research from City, University of London to examine the efforts of public bodies in tackling climate change with a view to highlighting the need for further urgent action.

Join the online meeting and the pro-bono policy team to continue City, University of London’s important climate emergency research work.

Registration can be found here 

We are bringing Pro Bono Week 2022 to the University of Glasgow! 

In collaboration with the University of Glasgow School of Law, the Lawyers Without Borders and Environmental Law societies are hosting a panel event featuring speakers from the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, Clyde & Co and JustRight Scotland. Join us to learn more about how pro bono legal work can address climate change, along with its wider, intersectional implications, and how the multitude of crises today’s society faces affect this work. 

Speakers

• Ben Christman – Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS)
• Andy Glass – Clyde & Co
• Eilidh Turnbull – JustRight Scotland

Registration can be found here 

In person event

Pro bono lawyers have a vital role to play in climate justice cases, particularly where those cases impact marginalised communities whose access to justice is impaired or restricted.

This webinar panel event will look at the developing area of rights-based climate litigation and the different ways in which human rights intersect with climate justice.

We will hear from Paul Clark, one of the barristers acting for the Portuguese youth-applicants in their European Court of Human Rights claim against 33 countries in connection with emissions reductions. Sinéad Magner will discuss the gendered impact of the climate crisis and the importance of addressing gender equality as part and parcel of actions to mitigate against climate change. Laura Neal of Friends of the Earth NI will provide valuable insight into the work of inhouse lawyers within environmental NGOs, who are at the cutting edge of driving strategic litigation in this field.

This event, celebrating UK Pro Bono Week 2022, is hosted by The Public Interest Litigation Support (PILS) Project.  PILS is a Belfast-based organisation which provides legal and financial support to NGOs and legal professionals in Northern Ireland to help build public interest litigation, thereby advancing human rights and equality for the benefit of society as a whole.

Speakers:

Laura Neal, Friends of the Earth;

Paul Clark, Garden Court Chambers;

Sinéad Magner, WEDO;

Hilary Perry and Kate Barry (facilitators), The PILS Project

Online only

Registration can be found here 

2022 has seen record breaking temperatures and unprecedented climate hazards emerge globally, which is a stark reminder that the climate crisis is very much real and well underway. It is therefore more important than ever that every professional is able to pull their weight in tackling this crisis, none more so than the next generation of lawyers and professionals in the legal sector who have invaluable skills, resources, and unlocked potential at their disposal. But how can junior lawyers get involved in pro bono climate change work, particularly those who have no idea where to start?

Clyde & Co invite you to attend our virtual panel event for Pro Bono Week, which will discuss how junior lawyers can get involved in tackling the climate crisis. The event is on Monday 7 November at 12pm – 1pm GMT.

 We are delighted to have the following panellists who will lead this discussion:

• Josh Hopkins (Chair) – Trainee Solicitor at Clyde & Co / Legal Secondee at The Chancery Lane Project
• Zaneta Sedilekova – Associate at Clyde & Co
• Sarah Hill-Smith – Associate at Clyde & Co
• Alasdair Cameron – Climate Change Policy Adviser at The Law Society
• Humzah Khan – Project Associate at The Chancery Lane Project

 The discussion will be followed by a Q&A session.

 Registration can be found here

Venue: online

To mark this year’s UK National Pro Bono Week and COP27, please join us on Thursday 10 November 12.00-12.45 for The climate crisis is real; what can lawyers do?

 Representatives from Legal Response International (LRI) will be tuning in live from COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, to explore how pro bono lawyers can support negotiators from low-income countries during UN Climate Change Conventions. This is an in-person event with Zoom dial-in available and will be attended by lawyers and professionals from other law firms.

Speakers: 

• Christoph Schwarte, Director, Legal Response International
• TBC negotiator
• Cami Jetzer, Associate
• Isobel Rudd, Trainee Associate
• Will Hooker, Partner, Pallas Partners LLP
• William Ferris, Trainee, Clyde & Co

Legal Response International (LRI) is a charity that provides free legal assistance to negotiators from low-income and climate vulnerable countries in connection with the international climate negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The international negotiations under the UN Climate Change Conventions are among the most complex multilateral law and policy-making processes ever. LRI seeks to create a level playing field between actors in these discussions by providing poorer, more climate-vulnerable countries with pro bono legal experts. During COP26, Weil colleagues in DC and London worked with LRI to provide real-time legal analysis to negotiators from low-income nations.

Pro Bono Week 2022 is taking place 7-11 November and recognises the incredible contribution of lawyers across the country who use their specialist skills through the provision of free legal advice. Since 2015, the London office has performed almost 100,000 pro bono hours which is testament to our commitment and dedication to Our Finest Hours.

COP27 is taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh in November and will mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The conference will bring together world leaders, politicians, policy makers, lawyers, scientists and ecologists from UN member states.

Hybrid Event

To register your place, email sue.cook@weil.com 

As part of Pro Bono Week UK, on Tuesday 8 November 2022 at 12.00-13.00 BST, The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) is hosting a live introduction webinar. Come and find out about the climate contract work of TCLP, how we are changing the world and the current pro bono opportunities on offer.

Speakers

Josh Van den Dries – Project Associate
Becky Annison – Director of Engagement

Registration can be found here

Online event

Time: 5.30pm – 8pm

For Pro Bono Week 2022, the Birmingham Law Society Pro Bono Committee invites our legal community to an important and insightful evening event. This event is kindly hosted by Gowling WLG.

This year’s event will focus on climate change and environmental issues, exploring the real impact our pro bono contribution can have in supporting communities and people dealing with environmental threat. The Committee is delighted to host a line-up of fantastic speakers to share their experience and ideas for this event.

So many of us are deeply concerned by the environmental challenges we are all facing and struggle to know how to make a difference. This evening event will explore how lawyers, both as businesses and as individuals, can use our legal skills, commercial experience and influence to make a genuine contribution. We hope this will be a fascinating and eye-opening evening for firms, chambers and practitioners throughout the Midlands who are keen to discover how pro bono, perhaps as part of a wider responsible business strategy, can be part of this.  

Speakers: 

• The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF)
• Fiona Nicholls, Head of Sustainability and Assurance, Gowling WLG
• Lee McBride, Partner and Head of Environmental Team, Lodders Solicitors
• Nina Pindham, Barrister specialising in Planning and Environmental, No5 Barristers’ Chambers

In person event

Registration: Book Event – Birmingham Law Society. One Profession. One Region. One Voice

Venue: Hosted by Gowling PLC (Birmingham)