Pro Bono & Charities Associate

The Pro Bono & Charities Associate role will be permanent and full-time. You will work four days a week as part of the Pro Bono team and one day a week as part of the fee-earning Charity, Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit team.

Charles Russell Speechlys encourages and provides the latest technology to facilitate agile working.

The Pro Bono & Charities Associate will work closely with and report to our Senior Pro Bono Associate and Partner and Director of Responsible Business & Pro Bono. You will also work closely with Partner and Head of our Charity, Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit team. Other key relationships will include:

• Partners, Associates and Trainees across all the Firm’s business divisions and practice groups;
• The members of our fee-earning Charity, Philanthropy and Not for Profit team;
• The Senior and Managing Partners;
• Other members of the Responsible Business Team;
• The Business Development and Marketing & Communications teams.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Work alongside the Senior Pro Bono Associate, Pro Bono Paralegal and ESG/Pro Bono Trainee, on day-to-day management of the Firm’s growing and Award-winning pro bono practice across our UK and international offices;
• Expand opportunities for fee-earners to advise small non-profit organisations on a pro bono basis and oversee that work, ensuring it is done to a high standard and in line with relevant charities regulation and applying sector expertise to ensure the work completed meets our pro bono charity clients’ objectives and expectations including:

• Ensuring high standards of compliance, client care and careful risk management;
• Reviewing and responding to requests and referrals for pro bono advice;
• Placing pro bono matters with suitably qualified lawyers;
• Managing relationships with relevant charity and non-profit legal advice centre project partners;
• Overseeing the training of lawyers at the firm for pro bono matters;
• Helping to manage relationships between pro bono lawyers and pro bono clients;
• Overseeing and managing the alignment of our Pro Bono Practice with our highly ranked fee-earning Charity, Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit practice to ensure a close working relationship, including:
  • Supporting business development activities which are aligning the fee-earning Charity, Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit practice with the Pro Bono practice;
  • Ensuring that pro bono is correctly targeted and identifying/referring opportunities for both types of work;
  • Supporting joined up knowledge and thought leadership projects.

• Advise on pro bono matters, as appropriate;
• Build strong relationships with firmwide network of Pro Bono Champions, supporting them to facilitate and increase participation;
• Produce clear, creative and engaging internal communications to promote pro bono activities across the Firm.
• Raise the profile of our Pro Bono practice and the fee earning Charity, Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit practice externally including through working with the Marketing & Communications Team and the Partner and Head of our Charity, Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit team to produce high quality external communications; preparing submissions for relevant industry awards; working with the Firm’s HR, Graduate Recruitment and Early Talent teams to raise the profile with CRS alumni, potential recruits and other key external audiences;
• Support the monitoring and evaluation of the pro bono practice and of particular pro bono projects;
• Assist with the Firm’s submissions to external surveys and indices;
• Represent the Firm at external meetings and events relating to pro bono;
• Comply with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, and Principles.

Skills and experience

• A skilled, creative and passionate lawyer, with at least 5+ years PQE;
• Expertise in Charities law essential;
• Experience working on pro bono projects in a commercial law firm and/or working for an organisation providing legal aid, pro bono legal advice or pro bono clearing house services essential;
• Experience managing pro bono programmes within a commercial law firm context desirable;
• Experience working collaboratively with a diverse range of people and organisations;
• Experience producing reports and analysing data. Person specification
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and experience presenting to diverse audiences;
• Ability to perform consistently to a high standard in a fast-paced environment;
• Excellent IT skills including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.

Competencies

• Client service;
• Integrity and respect
• Interpersonal skills;
• Inclusive
• Delivery focus
• Driving high standards
• Judgement & decision making
• Commercial mindset
• Client-centric
• Responsible Business

Agencies

When we require external assistance with our vacancies, we will reach out to our PSL supply chain. Please be aware we operate a very strict PSL policy with close relationships with our suppliers and cannot respond to agencies outside of the PSL. We also do not accept speculative CVs as an introduction. Please do not contact individual hiring managers or the Talent Acquisition team.