Origins

Pro Bono Québec grew out of the pressing need to improve access to justice and build a formal structure around the pro bono work already being done by lawyers. The goal was to create a permanent mechanism to enable participating firms or lawyers to contribute a set number of hours of free legal work each year. These hours would be “deposited” in a virtual “bank” of pro bono hours.

Similar programs exist in, for example, Ontario (www.pblo.org), British Columbia (www.probononet.bc.ca), Alberta (www.pbla.ca), Saskatchewan (www.pblsask.ca) and the United States (www.probono.net).

In Quebec, the project was spearheaded in April 2005 by Me Guy Pratte, a partner in the law firm Borden Ladner Gervais. A working group was created and included representatives of the law firms Fasken Martineau Dumoulin, Fraser Milner Casgrain, Heenan Blaikie, McCarthy Tétrault, Miller Thomson, Ogilvy Renault, Osler, Robinson Sheppard and Stikeman Elliott. Quebec judges and representatives of the Quebec Bar also worked on the project.

Quebec Bar

In November 2007, with the agreement of the working group headed by Me Pratte, the Quebec Bar created a committee to take over the lead role in the project and design a framework to turn it into a province-wide initiative.

After many months of work, the committee filed its report. On September 25, 2008 the General Council of the Quebec Bar adopted a resolution (in French only) creating Pro Bono Québec, a new flagship organization for the Bar.

On October 20, 2008, Pro Bono Québec was incorporated under Part III of the Quebec Companies Act. Its official corporate name is the “Centre Pro Bono Québec inc.”.