Clifford Chance appoints full-time pro bono lawyer

Clifford Chance has today announced that Tom Dunn is to join the firm as its first dedicated pro bono lawyer. His appointment will be a welcome addition to the existing team that manages the firm's highly rated pro bono and community affairs practice.

Tom joins from the College of Law where he was pro bono lawyer for four years, being instrumental in delivering projects such as the public legal education project, Streetlaw. Before then he had been a lawyer at Southwark Law Centre.

At Clifford Chance, Tom will supervise and co-ordinate the firm's pro bono work, offer professional support to its volunteers and provide advice to the firm's charitable and not-for-profit clients. Tom will oversee the expansion of the firm's FreeLaw programme, at which volunteers provide free legal advice to local communities, and also help the firm to focus more attention on serving the needs of the poorest boroughs in London through new and existing programmes.

Michael Smyth, Head of Public Policy, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Tom to the team. His appointment reflects the firm's commitment to the provision of free, social welfare law services just when they are most needed."

Tom commented: "I am excited by the prospect of putting my skills to use in helping to drive forward pro bono activity at Clifford Chance."

The value of pro bono work undertaken by Clifford Chance in 2006/2007 was upwards of £10 million with 54% lawyer participation. Four lawyers are seconded each year to the human rights organisation Liberty and 16 are seconded to Law for All, the country's largest not-for-profit law firm.