Overview
The Argentine legal system has long provided a mechanism for providing pro bono legal services to the people of Argentina. Support in Argentina for the emerging concept of pro bono legal work among private lawyers and law firms began in the late 1990s and intensified through the following decades. Nowadays we find several ways in which legal pro bono work has been institutionalized and organized in Argentina. The most relevant are the Commission of Pro Bono Work and Public Interest of the Bar Association of the City of Buenos Aires (Pro Bono Commission – which is associated with more than 40 law firms and other legal departments of companies)[1] , as well as the Federal Pro Bono Network [2] that brings together more than 3,000 professionals throughout the country. In some provinces, coordination with public bar associations and the academic sector is used to achieve this goal. In other provinces, the private legal profession [3] takes the lead, working in collaboration with community-based organizations.
At a glance
| Minimum pro bono hours requirement for lawyers? | Specific pro bono licence required? | May foreign lawyers practice pro bono? | Insurance required for law firm pro bono? | Insurance required for in-house counsel pro bono? | Rules to limit advertising pro bono work? | Does pro bono work count to CLE credit? | Limitations for in-house lawyers to do pro bono? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Pro bono practice and opportunities
According to Law Number 23.187, Section 11, to practice law in Argentina, lawyers must have a degree from an accredited university (i.e., authorized by the Ministry of Culture and Education) to register before the Colegio de Abogados (Bar Association). The ethical rules that govern the practice of law generally in Argentina are regulated and enforced by bar associations in Argentina, which are organized according to provinces and territories within each province. In case of the Bar Association of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, which is the main bar association in Argentina, Law Number 23.187 is applicable.[4]
There are similar rules in the other provinces of Argentina. Generally, there’s no difference for lawyers working as in-house counsel.[5]
Regulatory landscape for pro bono
Argentina does not have a national law that obliges private lawyers to perform pro bono work. Pro bono is generally voluntary but institutionally encouraged and regulated through bar associations and ethical rules.
In addition to regulating their attorneys’ conduct, bar associations promote and organize the provision of pro bono legal services by their members. Pro bono work should be differentiated from state-funded legal aid, where individuals must meet certain requirements to qualify for such aid.
The Public Defender’s Office offers free legal representation in certain criminal, civil, family, and administrative matters with state-employed lawyers. Pro bono lawyers supplement, but do not replace the government system.
Beyond usual local qualification to practice law, there are no specific licenses required in Argentina to provide pro bono legal services.
Foreign lawyers do not require any additional license(s) to provide pro bono legal services in Argentina. However, in order to practice law generally (including the provision of pro bono legal services) in Argentina, a foreign lawyer is required to obtain the recognition of their foreign diploma at a state or private university in Argentina and of the Argentinian Ministry of Education. Each such university has its own administrative requirements for the recognition of foreign diplomas. Once the relevant foreign lawyer has received such recognition, they may register with the Bar Association to practice law in Argentina.
Bar associations in Argentina regulate and discipline their members by adopting and enforcing the ethical rules that govern the practice of law in their jurisdiction; these apply to the provision of pro bono legal services.
In addition to regulating their attorneys’ conduct, bar associations promote and organize the provision of pro bono legal services by their members. Some of their policies provide that attorney members have a duty to provide pro bono legal services (although this duty is not expressed as the requirement to complete a particular number of hours of pro bono work per year).
There are no specific rules regarding a minimum of pro bono hours that aspiring lawyers are required to work in Argentina.
There are no mandatory or aspirational pro bono hours targets for lawyers set by the local bar association, regulatory body or other body. However, across Latin America, 65% of law firms have signed the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas (PBDA) [6] , and 76% of firms in Argentina have signed it. PBDA, defines legal pro bono and sets forth a commitment of 20 annual pro bono hours per attorney at signatory law firms[7] .
In-house legal teams can also sign the Declaration.
Lawyers in Argentina do not receive any “Continuing Legal Education” or equivalent credit for pro bono hours worked.
Insurance and advertising
Lawyers in Argentina are not mandatorily required to obtain professional indemnity legal insurance to cover the legal services (including pro bono legal services) that they provide. This applies equally to in-house lawyers.
There are no rules that prohibit advertising of pro bono successes or soliciting new pro bono clients in Argentina. Lawyers and law firms may advertise pro bono services, but they typically receive cases through the Pro Bono Commission or other clearinghouses in bar associations or universities.
Lawyers must follow the pro bono policy of their referring agency.
Pro bono practice and culture
The main areas of law which require or present opportunities for the provision of pro bono legal services in Argentina are those related to political transparency and corruption prevention, children at risk, right to access health services, microfinance and sustainable finance, access to justice, labour inclusion, advice to NGOs, social inclusion, human rights, access to information and healthcare.[8]
There is a need to continue to promote pro bono legal work within Argentine society so that it becomes even more widespread.
The main providers of pro bono legal services are NGOs [9] , clearinghouses (Comisión Probono del Colegio de Abogados de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires), universities [10] (Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Universidad Católica Argentina) and private law firms.[11]
Also, there are several governmental sources of free legal services within the scope of the office of the Public Prosecutor in Argentina, which offers legal services related to disability rights, rights of the elderly, health issues, family law, among others.[12]
In Argentina, AI has the potential to address challenges such as the overloaded legal aid system, geographic inequality, information gaps and limited NGO funding. Law firms are using AI tools (e.g. Harvey), so although there are no publicly mentioned, major examples of firms using AI for a pro bono matter, it is likely that they are using such tools for both their commercial and pro bono work.
The Argentine Pro Bono Week, 2024 (an annual event that recognizes and celebrates the vital role that volunteer lawyers play in building a more just social order) focused on the relevance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal field, analysing how this technology can strengthen access to justice, especially for vulnerable communities. Lawyers can collaborate in the development and supervision of AI systems, ensuring that the information they provide is accessible, accurate and unbiased, especially for people in vulnerable situations who require quick and clear legal guidance.
Thanks to AI, lawyers can organize and extract relevant information from large volumes of data more quickly and accurately, which means handling more cases with the same resources and focusing on the human aspects of each situation.[13]
It’s likely that NGOs and government will continue to develop new tools to advance access to justice. For example, in 2025 [14] new version of Justibot was launched by the Council of the Magistracy. The judicial chatbot facilitates open consultations and answers about files and procedures, prioritizing empathy and access for citizens and lawyers in Buenos Aires.
The tool, powered by Generative Artificial Intelligence, seeks to transform interaction with the Buenos Aires judicial system. It allows users to obtain clear and up-to-date answers about files, court addresses, procedures and rights, all through an accessible language.[15]
Sources of pro bono opportunities and key contacts
Notable sources of pro bono work include government sources [16] and NGOs.[17] Bar Associations also have their respective pro bono clinics. These free legal clinics aim to provide legal assistance to vulnerable sectors, allowing access to justice. In this sense, people without resources are advised completely free of charge, with each clinic determining the areas of attention, at their discretion.
For instance, the Bar Association of the Province of Buenos Aires provides pro bono services[18] and the Bar Association of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires provides pro bono legal assistance in a variety of areas, such as a family law, criminal law, and social security issues.[19]
Lawyers can find pro bono opportunities through organisations such as Red Federal Pro Bono [20] (a network of lawyers, bar associations, universities, and firms that collaborate on pro bono matters in Argentina), or the Comisión Pro Bono del Colegio de Abogados de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Bar Pro Bono Commission) which acts as a central pro bono clearinghouse.[21] Foreign and local lawyers can also find research or international law opportunities through global pro bono clearinghouses such as TrustLaw.[22]
The Buenos Aires Bar Pro Bono Commission gives an award for outstanding contributions to Pro Bono initiatives[23][24]
References
- https://www.probono.org.ar/ (Last visited on 9 January 2026).
- https://redfederalprobono.com.ar/ (Last visited on 9 January 2026).
- https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=83b5dda0-a518-4d2e-ba39-bc00a8d28157 (Last visited on 9 January 2026).
- See https://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/25000-29999/26188/texact.htm and; https://new.cpacf.org.ar/noticia/5142/codigo-de-etica (last visited on Nov 28, 2024).
- See https://new.cpacf.org.ar/noticia/5175/matricula-inscripcion-nuevos-matriculados
- https://latinlawyer.com/survey/pro-bono/2025/article/pro-bono-coordinators-norm-while-compensation-remains-struggle (last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- https://www.vancecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/english.pdf (Last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- https://www.probono.org.ar/ (Last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- For example, (https://www.probono.org.ar/ and https://redfederalprobono.com.ar/)
- See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/justicia/afianzar/caj/red-federal-de-patrocinio-juridico-gratuito-0 ); http://www.derecho.uba.ar/institucional/practica-profesional/depto_pracprofesional_consultorio_y_patrocinio_juridico_gratuito; https://www.utdt.edu/ver_contenido.php?id_contenido=21229&id_item_menu=34550);
- https://uca.edu.ar/es/compromiso-social/proyectos-y-catedras—2021/asesoramiento-juridico).
- See https://www.probono.org.ar/quienes-somos/#equipo.
- Please see https://buenosaires.gob.ar/guiajuridicagratuita/comision-probono-red-de-abogados-por-el-bien-comun-colegio-de-abogados-de-buenos-aires
- See https://es.linkedin.com/pulse/inteligencia-artificial-y-abogac%C3%ADa-pro-bono-nuevas-oportunidades-vg0ne .
- https://www.infobae.com/judiciales/2025/07/04/justibot-el-chatbot-de-la-justicia-portena-se-actualiza-con-inteligencia-artificial/ (Last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- See https://buenosaires.gob.ar/guiajuridicagratuita/comision-probono-red-de-abogados-por-el-bien-comun-colegio-de-abogados-de-buenos-aires
- See https://www.probono.org.ar/ and https://redfederalprobono.com.ar/ (links not working)
- See https://colproba.org.ar/l/consultorios-juridicos/
- See https://new.cpacf.org.ar/noticia/5151/consultorio-juridico-gratuito
- https://redfederalprobono.com.ar/?utm (Last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- https://www.probono.org.ar/ (Last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- https://www.trust.org/impact-story/fighting-corruption-in-argentina/ (Last viewed on 9 January 2026).
- https://www.probono.org.ar/premios-abogados-y-abogadas-pro-bono-2021/
Acknowledgements
Name of law firm: BPL
Name of lawyer: Alexis Kook-Weskott
Related resources
TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono
The Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global benchmark report mapping the scale and trends of the pro bono legal sector around the world.
Measuring Pro Bono Impact Guide
A 5-step framework to support legal teams in measuring the impact of their pro bono programmes more effectively, produced by the Thomson Reuters Foundation
Pro Bono Institute Challenge Reports
Providing valuable insights into the pro bono landscape by benchmarking pro bono performance at law firms and in-house legal departments.
Explore the Guide's headline findings
The Guide offers insight and analysis into the global pro bono landscape, beyond the deep-dive country chapters.
