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
Brett Samuels, The Hill, 6 Mar. 2025
While some experts choose to do pro bono work for strategic reasons—such as speaking at a high-visibility industry event—this should be the exception, not the expectation.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The message included a link to a story noting the firm was defending Smith pro bono.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2025
But the fund’s failings struck at the heart of New York’s intentions, said Eric Olson, a corporate and finance lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb, a white-shoe firm helping some licensees to develop their businesses pro bono.
—Ashley Southall, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pro bono.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro%20bono. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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