Pro bono legal services are not new in the country. In fact, a large number of organizations, including more than one Law Firm, have always carried out pro bono legal work. However, it is necessary to assume a proactive role, establishing clear objectives, and setting targets that should be necessarily met.

Assuming some cases which, after a superficial analysis, it being the best case scenario, are included in a Law Firm’s Pro Bono portfolio is not enough.

Accordingly, the Pro Bono Declaration for the Americas project (a regional initiative developed by 300 law firms under the sponsorship of the Cyrus Vance Centre of New York, launched in March 2008) considers that "providing legal services for no valuable consideration or without the expectation of receiving payment, mainly to benefit poor or marginalized people or communities and the organizations that assist them (...) can also benefit civilian, cultural and educational institutions that serve public interests which, otherwise, would not obtain legal advice".

At our Firm, we are thoroughly committed to the principles of the Pro Bono Declaration, for which reason we have set up a committee the first task of which is to present the criteria that we will use as a basis to evaluate, and assume, Pro Bono legal work.

The results we may obtain for the benefit of the community and for our own benefit, as an organization, depend on how seriously we take this work.


Fernando Meléndez, Main Partner
Pro Bono Committee Chairman