“Advocate is a wonderful charity, and if people like me in the privileged position of providing advocacy can provide assistance to the not so privileged and are able to do so, then we should. I wanted to not only give something back, but also try to persuade my colleagues to do so as well.”
Hear from Yasin Patel, a volunteer barrister from Church Court Chambers who has completed an extraordinary 200 hours of pro bono work so far this year. Yasin shares with us about his fascinating pro bono journey, and how this inspired him to sign up to and exceed the Advocate Pro Bono Pledge.
1. How did you first start doing pro bono work?
Initially, I started doing pro bono work through an NGO and with a pressure group tackling racial harassment and police harassment. Once I decided to become a lawyer and prior to beginning my pupillage, I volunteered with a charity that assisted inmates on death row at Louisiana Crisis Assistance Centre, something I continue to do to this day. The pro bono work has developed so that as well as assisting Advocate, I run a free legal workshop at a charity helping provide young people with free legal advice. This is as well as assisting a humanitarian organisation in relation to inquests and coroners’ courts and assisting victims of domestic violence with advice.
2. What was your most memorable pro bono case?
Assisting a death row prisoner in his fight to be pardoned so that he could watch his children grow up, albeit from behind bars. Being black and poor in the United States means that inevitably, on capital cases, you are very much up against a system, particularly in certain states that are inherently discriminatory. Saving this man from death row was very satisfying, but watching the smiles of happiness and the tears of joy on his family’s faces was truly heart-warming and made all the late nights worthwhile.
3. Why did you decide to do the Pro Bono Pledge?
Advocate is a wonderful charity, and if people like me in the privileged position of providing advocacy can provide assistance to the not so privileged and are able to do so, then we should. I wanted to not only give something back, but also try to persuade my colleagues to do so as well.
4 .What have you found most rewarding about doing pro bono work?
Helping and assisting others where there seems to be no other avenue for them to turn to. It is about giving help to others where they seem to think none exists, and then helping them in achieving the result or finality that they seek and have been striving for.
5. What advice would you give to any barrister who is unsure about whether to start doing pro bono work?
Your work, qualities, assistance and help will be more gratefully received then any client who pays for it or is legal aided! Just a few hours of your charitable work in a week can make all the difference to the whole life of a person. Changing a person’s life for the better is worth the sacrifice of a few hours.
Volunteer with us
Feel inspired to offer your time? Find out how you can volunteer with Advocate and check out the Pro Bono Pledge to commit your hours to helping people gain access to justice today.