The Next Chapter: Our Three-Year Strategy 2026–2029

After three decades at the heart of pro bono at the Bar, Advocate is entering a new phase. Our three-year strategy sets out how we will help more people move through the legal system with confidence, help more barristers engage with pro bono, and build an organisation sustainable enough to meet whatever the next three decades ask of it.

Over the last three years, we have transformed our ways of working. We have built a national casework team, digitised core processes and secured more funding than ever to support our mission of access to justice for all. We did this in response to growing pressure on the justice system, which has left so many people with nowhere to turn, meaning they must navigate the system alone.   

But moving quickly has meant layering new ways of working onto old structures and stretching systems that were never designed for today's demand. The Next Chapter builds the foundations we need to keep delivering high-quality, free legal assistance as the Bar's national pro bono charity.

This strategy was created in consultation with the Board of Trustees, our Senior Leadership Team and colleagues.

Our three strategic aims

From the data gathered during the research process, we developed three strategic aims, which we will use to monitor and measure our progress throughout the strategy period.

• More people who apply to Advocate are empowered to move through the legal system with confidence
  We will provide a clear and accessible service model that helps people understand what support is available, how decisions are made, and feel that they have been heard and supported. We will also make strategic choices about the volume and type of work we take on, to maximise the outcomes we achieve for applicants, volunteers and staff.
• More barristers are engaged, supported and enabled to deliver pro bono
  We will build a strong understanding of who engages with pro bono work, how they engage and what support and training best enables them to contribute. We will improve barristers' experience of volunteering through clear communication, accessible systems and modern technology, and use evidence to influence, grow and shape pro bono practice at the Bar.
• Advocate is a trusted and sustainable organisation that can adapt and respond to changing legal and societal needs
  We will maintain strong foundations, develop diverse and reliable sources of income, and strengthen our national role and reputation across the circuits and the wider access to justice system. We will also foster an internal culture that encourages questioning, learning and adaptation.

We draw on the strength of this organisation's history to look ahead, making the most of the next three years to help more people in need and create more pathways to justice for all.