pro bono
adjective
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Definition of pro bono
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Examples of pro bono in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Following Friday's announcement, Webb said his work this time will be pro bono, charging the county only for out-of-pocket expenses. — Bill Kirkos And Omar Jimenez, CNN, "Former federal prosecutor to investigate Jussie Smollett case," 23 Aug. 2019 Jones Day is handling the case pro bono, or free of charge, and assisting public defender Rachel Troutman and others. — Eric Heisig, cleveland.com, "Kim Kardashian West tweets that former Ohio death row inmate in prison for murder is innocent," 16 July 2019 Although part of the legal work by a team of about 12 lawyers is pro bono, there are steep costs involved in sorting through the material and preparing incriminating statements for use throughout the process, as well as for security for the lawyers. — Ron Kampeas, sun-sentinel.com, "This Jewish lawyer wants to break the back of the violent white nationalist movement," 18 June 2019 As a pro bono attorney working for the nonprofit legal group Texas Civil Rights Project, Peña had a growing stack of cases on her desk. — Melissa Del Bosque, ProPublica, "The Case That Made an Ex-ICE Attorney Realize the Government Was Relying on False “Evidence” Against Migrants," 13 Aug. 2019 Veterans who need ongoing legal representation and who qualify for legal aid may be assigned a pro bono attorney through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers to handle their case. — Staff Report, Houston Chronicle, "Free legal clinic for veterans in Katy on June 15," 10 June 2019 Their pro bono work also led to the reinstatement of social security benefits for a disabled veteran with a mental health condition and HIV who had open-heart surgery. — Diane Herbst, PEOPLE.com, "PEOPLE's 50 Companies That Care: See Our 2019 List of Employers Who Win by Giving Back," 24 July 2019 His law firm, Robinson & Cole, soon learned that billable hours competed with pro bono work for his attention. — Anne M. Hamilton, courant.com, "Extraordinary Life: It was hard to miss Johnny Murphy, a passionate lawyer who embraced Hartford," 14 July 2019 Keane, a senior partner with Bingham Greebenabum Doll, a former KBA president, was honored for pro bono work with an award that emphasizes nature of the legal services contributed and the amount of time involved in donating free legal services. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky Bar Association names its judge and lawyers of the year," 3 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pro bono.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pro bono
pro bono
adjectiveFinancial Definition of pro bono
What It Is
Pro bono refers to any work or service that someone provides free of charge for the common good.
How It Works
From the Latin phrase "pro bono publico" meaning "for the public good," the motivation behind pro bono work is to benefit society as opposed to making money. Pro bono work often refers to legal services offered without taking a fee. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, it is recommended by professional law associations that legal practitioners volunteer a certain number of hours for pro bono service each year. Although pro bono work is most often associated with legal services, it has become common for members of other professions such as medicine and consulting, to extend themselves in a similar manner for the benefit of those less fortunate.
To illustrate the nature of pro bono work, suppose an attorney provides some legal service to low-income families in his community free of charge. The unpaid work done for these families would be considered to be pro bono work, because the attorney is providing his services solely for the benefit of the less fortunate in the community.
Why It Matters
The altruistic nature of pro bono work can be thought of as more important that the actual work. Attorneys, for instance who engage in pro bono work donate their time and expertise in order to help improve the lives of others in their community.
Source: Investing Answers
pro bono
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of pro bono
See the full definition for pro bono in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pro bono
adverb or adjectiveLegal Definition of pro bono
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