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
Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
Trump announced on Tuesday that law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, which is home to former second gentleman Doug Emhoff, committed to $100 million in pro bono legal work to causes such as supporting veterans and combating antisemitism.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2025
As part of the deal, Wilkie has agreed to offer pro bono work to the Trump administration and causes of its choosing, and agreed not to use diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in its hiring.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
The mother temporarily moved in with Francois in Virginia as the attorney worked her case pro bono.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 Mar. 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 10 Apr. 2025.
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