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
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025
While some firms have filed lawsuits to block the orders, others have worked out deals with the White House to either reverse or prevent them. , agreeing to provide $40 million in pro bono legal services aligned with administration priorities and to halt all DEI practices.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Altogether, the president has extracted nearly $1 billion in pro bono legal services.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said earlier this month that the administration was closing in on $1 billion worth of pro bono services from law firms, and Mr. Trump has suggested putting those commitments toward negotiating trade deals.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 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 1 May. 2025.
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