pro bono
adjective
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In Latin, pro bono publico means "for the public good;" in English we generally shorten the phrase to pro bono. Donating free legal help to those who need it has long been a practice of American law firms; the American Bar Association actually recommends that all lawyers donate 50 hours a year. Pro bono work is sometimes donated by nonlegal firms as well. For example, an advertising firm might produce a 60-second video for an environmental or educational organization, or a strategic-planning firm might prepare a start-up plan for a charity that funds shelters for battered women.
Examples of pro bono in a Sentence
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has been targeting individual law firms that include his political opponents, reaching agreements with them to provide pro bono services to the Trump administration.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
As part of the agreement, announced Tuesday, the law firm would provide roughly $100 million worth of pro bono legal work for initiatives supported by the current administration.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 6 Apr. 2025
According to Trump's post, Milbank has committed $100 million in pro bono legal services to causes backed by the Trump administration, including support for veterans, active-duty military members, and individuals facing injustices in the criminal justice system.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pro bono
Cite this Entry
“Pro bono.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro%20bono. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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