European Pro Bono Week: spotlight on Kennedys' pro bono work

This article was authored by Emma Blackstone, Pro Bono Manager at Kennedys.

European Pro Bono Week is a multi-city, week-long event to celebrate and highlight the role played by European lawyers in supporting civil society and human rights organizations and promoting access to justice for those in need.

This European Pro Bono Week, we took the opportunity to highlight the pro bono work of our colleagues in the region and to acknowledge the impact their efforts are making in their local communities.

Copenhagen office: using partnerships to demonstrate the power of pro bono

For the last four years, Heidi Bloch, Medea Plesner and Janus Krarup have partnered with two charities to provide pro bono legal advice and support.

SIND Ungdom is a mental health charity for young people, aiming to break the silence around mental illness and vulnerability and create a space and community for young people with mental illness to thrive.

Medea Plesner talks about the team's work

What type of pro bono work do you do? “We mostly assist with administrative or legal tasks, such as employment contracts or a claim for infringement of intellectual property rights. We have also advised on how to set up a whistle blower system.”

Tell us about your pro bono experience and why you do pro bono work: “Through our pro bono work, we learn something new and get to work with different kinds of clients, that we don't see in our day to day practice. The work we do pro bono gives a sense of purpose and a chance to give back.”

Jimmi Elley Nielson, Board Member, SIND Ungdom

What does the partnership mean to SIND Ungdom? “From small things to help with employment contracts, reviewing contracts with foundations and authorities to the very big help….where we as an organization have no knowledge or skills for the legal procedures in that process. Without you guys, our organisation would have been doomed.

Without Kennedys, SIND Ungdom probably wouldn't be here today. We can focus on helping young adults with mental issues, because we know Kennedys has got our back.”

Madrid office: a collaboration that supports the community and inspires future lawyers

2025 marks the fifth year of a collaboration between the Kennedys' office in Madrid, Comillas Pontifical University (ICADE) and regional NGO, Corazon y Manos ('Heart and Hands Association').

The ICADE Legal Clinic supports the service users of NGOs, such as Corazon y Manos, by providing legal advice to individuals seeking support. Led by students at the university, the advice process is supervised and monitored by volunteer lawyers, who oversee the advice work, while providing tutoring and support to the student teams.

Isidoro Ugena, Managing Partner in the Madrid office explains “With our participation in this programme, Kennedys makes it clear that it is not only characterised by having the most qualified professionals but also that these professionals want to make a difference, to be the spark that ignites the flame of a change. We want to be part of a fairer, more caring and kind society.”

One ICADE University student volunteer describes “The opportunity to put into practice the knowledge acquired at university to help others, and to be able to learn from real cases is unique. The support of the Kennedys tutors is essential, to be confident in answering queries accurately, and helps us to not feel lost. I would recommend to anyone who can to participate in such a project.”

Dublin office joins the pro bono programme

To mark European Pro Bono Week, colleagues in the Dublin office attended a session hosted by Emma Blackstone, Pro Bono Manager, to introduce the developing pro bono programme at Kennedys and to explore potential regional opportunities for the Dublin team.

Included in the list of opportunities is a partnership with the Public Interest Law Alliance, which acts as a clearing house for high impact NGOs and civil society organisations in need of business and transactional legal support.

The team also heard about a developing global pro bono project with Amicus, which will enable colleagues from across our regions to support US defenders working on death row cases. Amicus provides assistance on capital cases remotely through pro bono volunteers from affiliate international law firms and clinics.

New pro bono appointments in Dublin

We are delighted to have the support of Joanne O'Sullivan, who is a Partner in the Dublin office, as our first pro bono Partner sponsor for the region. 

We are also pleased to welcome as new pro bono Champions for the Dublin office: Jessica Heary (Associate), Aneta Szczwek (Associate), Gretta Dattan (Trainee solicitor) and Jennifer McCarthy (Trainee solicitor).

Jessica Heary explains "As we continue to grow, we recognise that we have a greater responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work. We are committed to encouraging and empowering our lawyers to use their skills and expertise to make a positive impact.

We regard pro bono work as an important aspect of our lawyers’ professional development and responsibility and are dedicated to supporting a culture of legal practice that provides access to justice for those who need it most.”