Pro Bono Practice and Opportunities in Sweden

Under the Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure (Sw. Rättegångsbalken), a lawyer is required to act in accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, which are a codification of the practices established by the Board of the Swedish Bar Association (Sw. Sveriges Advokatsamfund) and the precedents of the Bar Association’s disciplinary committee (Sw. Advokatsamfundets disciplinnämnd). The Rules of Professional Conduct require, amongst other things, that lawyers must perform any assignment with professionalism and due care. ^[1]

In Sweden, any person may practise law, but only members of the Swedish Bar Association can use the title “advokat”. In-house counsel are not permitted to be members of the Bar and are therefore not governed by the Rules of Professional Conduct or the Swedish Bar Association’s rules. Therefore, in-house counsel can offer legal services as they wish, subject to their employer’s view and applicable employment agreements. ^[2]

There are no specific rules that regulate the provision of pro bono legal services in Sweden. Members of the Swedish Bar Association are not required to provide pro bono services, but in practice, many lawyers do undertake pro bono work on a regular basis. When doing so, a regular attorney-client relationship is established, and the ethical rules for barred attorneys apply. In-house attorneys are not governed by the rules and regulations of the Swedish Bar Association and can therefore offer pro bono legal services as they wish.

No, in Sweden, any person may practise law and offer pro bono legal services to the public without the need for an authorisation. Any person is permitted to appear before any court, at any level of the court system, representing himself/herself or another person.^[3] In-house lawyers are therefore able to offer legal services to pro bono clients and represent pro bono clients in court. However, the members of the Swedish Bar Association have an exclusive right to offer legal advice under the professional title “advokat”.

When representing someone in court proceedings (Sw. Rättegångsombud), the Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure includes general requirements stating that the person must be deemed suitable based on integrity, competence, and previous experience and must also possess proficiency in the Swedish language.^[4] The person must also be resident in Sweden or in another state of the European Economic Area (or in Switzerland). However, if the court considers it appropriate, taking into account the circumstances of the case, a person outside the European Union may be appointed as the legal representative.

Under Swedish law, foreign-qualified lawyers are allowed to offer legal services, including pro bono work, given that any person is allowed to practise law. However, as stated above, only members of the Swedish Bar Association may use the professional title advokat, and thus, a foreign-qualified lawyer should not hold themselves out as being qualified in Sweden.

As stated above, if a foreign-qualified lawyer wants to represent someone in court proceedings, the person must also be proficient in the Swedish language and be suitable based on integrity, competence, and previous experience.

Lawyers in Sweden are not required by the rules that govern them to work a minimum number of pro bono hours.

Aspiring lawyers in Sweden are not required to complete a minimum number of hours of pro bono legal services to become members of the Swedish Bar Association.

Lawyers in Sweden are not required by the rules that govern them to work a minimum number of pro bono hours.

Lawyers, including in-house counsel, do not receive any CLE or equivalent credit for pro bono hours worked. However, all members of the Swedish Bar Association are required to complete annual legal education and report it to the Bar Association. While this education is not specifically focused on pro bono legal services, it can cover any area of law.

In Sweden, members of the Swedish Bar Association are required to maintain professional indemnity insurance for all legal services they provide, including pro bono work. This ensures that all services rendered under the professional title advokat are covered by indemnity insurance.

In contrast, in-house counsel in Sweden are not permitted to join the Swedish Bar Association and, therefore, are not subject to the same insurance requirements. While it is not mandatory for in-house lawyers to have professional indemnity insurance for pro bono services, obtaining such coverage is advisable and may depend on the employer’s policies.

In summary, while Swedish Bar Association members must have indemnity insurance for all legal services, including pro bono legal services, in-house counsel are not obligated to maintain such insurance for pro bono activities. However, securing appropriate coverage is recommended to mitigate potential risks.

There are no explicit rules in Sweden that prohibit advertising successes in pro bono matters or soliciting new pro bono clients, which applies to in-house counsel as well. However, members of the Swedish Bar Association must always comply with the general ethical rules (including attorney-client privilege and confidentiality) also with respect to pro bono clients.

The pro bono work in Sweden mainly consists of various social initiatives, such as projects related to human rights, the environment, and children’s rights. The pro bono work can also consist of supporting sports teams and start-ups.

Advocates and law firms engage in pro bono legal services on a case-by-case basis, typically either when contacted directly by individuals needing assistance or by partnering with a non-profit organisation for discrete or long-term projects.

There are no technological innovations designed specifically for pro bono legal services in Sweden. However, Sweden is generally at the forefront in fields like artificial intelligence. These technologies are often utilised by Swedish law firms, including in their pro bono legal services.

For example, many law firms use Legora (formerly Leya), which was founded in Sweden in 2023, including in providing pro bono legal services. Legora is an AI-powered platform, which is designed to facilitate collaboration between lawyers and assist in project management.

There are no governmental sources of pro bono and a lack of systematised pro bono clearinghouses to facilitate pro bono relationships in Sweden. (Note: government-funded legal aid exists separately from pro bono). As such, pro bono work is mainly undertaken by private initiative.

One of the most well-known pro bono projects in Sweden is “Advokatjouren”, an initiative by the Swedish Bar Association that offers free legal consulting for 15 minutes to the public. This service provides advice on how to proceed with legal issues but does not include document drafting. Meetings are available in several cities across Sweden.^[5]

Another example is the public interest organisation Center for Justice (Sw. Centrum för rättvisa), which among other things takes on pilot cases within the field of human rights litigation. The organisation has been behind several landmark rulings in the Swedish Supreme Court.^[6]

There is no Swedish public or private organisation where local or foreign lawyers can register to get information about pro bono opportunities.

There are no Swedish awards, lists, or rankings for pro bono work.