Overview
The legal system in Lebanon recognizes the principle of equal access to justice and provides a procedure for obtaining legal aid through courts and bar associations in accordance with the Code for Civil Procedure [1] and Code for Criminal Procedure [2]. Lebanese laws and regulations do not regulate pro bono activities (outside the legal aid scope), which have historically been handled by:
(i) the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations (mainly with respect to the legal aid program of the judiciary or on a collaboration basis with international organizations [3] ),
(ii) individual lawyers, (iii) private law firms, and
(iv) local and international human rights organizations.
Local and international human rights organizations generally provide legal counselling and assessment, rather than legal representation (with some exceptions [4]) and individual lawyers and private law firms generally provide legal representation.
We have recently seen a growing focus by private law firms in pro bono services. The main areas which present opportunities for the provision of pro bono legal services in Lebanon are employment, residential (this rose after the Beirut blast in 2020), personal status, vulnerable communities and refugees, domestic workers, and domestic violence matters.
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 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Pro bono practice and opportunities
The legal profession in Lebanon is governed by the Law no.8/70 on Regulating the Lawyer’s Profession of 11 March 1970 (as amended). Lebanese lawyers must also comply with the Lawyers Code of Ethics and rules on Bar Association websites.
A lawyer may not practice in Lebanon unless he or she is qualified with either the Beirut Bar Association or the Tripoli Bar Association [5]. To qualify as an attorney in Lebanon, an applicant must:
(i) be Lebanese for at least 10 years;
(ii) enjoy civil legal capacity and be between 20 and 65 years old;
(iii) hold a bachelor in Law and at least four years of legal education, (iv) be of good character;
(v) have no criminal or disciplinary convictions; and
(vi) have not have been fired from a public post or previous profession for reasons that would undermine the honor[6] .
Only lawyers and law faculty professors in Lebanon may provide legal advice in Lebanon (subject to criminal sanctions [7]). Only qualified lawyers may appear before courts. There is no difference for lawyers working as in-house counsels.
Regulatory landscape for pro bono
There are no specific laws and rules that regulate the provision of pro bono legal services in Lebanon. However, the Code for Civil Procedure and the Code for Criminal Procedure in Lebanon govern the legal aid process that is offered by the judiciary to certain individuals in specific cases in collaboration with the Lebanese bar associations.
No, lawyers in Lebanon do not need a license to provide pro bono legal services.
If the pro bono case entails representation before the court, then a foreign qualified lawyer must obtain a special approval from the president of the Beirut Bar Association to plead before the Lebanese courts which is subject to reciprocal treatment from the bar association or syndicate to which the lawyer is admitted.[8]
No. This varies from one law firm to another and there is no minimum number of pro bono hours that a lawyer must work in Lebanon.
No, there is no universal minimum requirement for aspiring lawyers. However, on a case-by-case basis, aspiring lawyers who have not attended a sufficient number of court cases may be required by the bar association to complete a minimum number of legal aid cases as a final step towards qualification.
No, while legal aid participation is encouraged [9], there are no set aspirational targets for pro bono.
No, lawyers in Lebanon do not receive any “Continuing Legal Education” (CLE) or equivalent credit for pro bono hours worked.
Insurance and advertising
No, lawyers do not need professional indemnity legal insurance cover for pro bono legal services they provide.
Other than the general prohibitions regarding legal profession advertising, there are no limits or prohibitions in respect of advertising pro bono successes or soliciting new pro bono clients.
Pro bono practice and culture
The main areas which present opportunities for the provision of pro bono legal services in Lebanon are employment, residential (especially after the Beirut Blast), personal status, vulnerable communities and refugees, domestic workers, and domestic violence matters.[10]
The main providers of pro bono legal services are:
(i) Bar Associations that administer legal aid and sometimes assign pro bono lawyers to cases (with respect to the legal aid program of the judiciary) [11];
(ii) individual lawyers [12];
(iii) private law firms [13]; and
(iv) local and international human rights organizations such as the UNHCR [14] or Legal Action Lebanon.[15]
There are no particularly noteworthy examples of how innovative technology or artificial intelligence are used in pro bono legal services, but private law firms and local/international organizations provide pro bono services via video conference.
Sources of pro bono opportunities and key contacts
Pro bono and legal aid information is generally noted in announcements issued by the bar associations in Lebanon, reports of international organizations, news alerts of private law firms and legal articles issued by the law society. The Legal Agenda [16] particularly publishes insights about pro bono matters from time to time.
Generally, non-governmental organizations (including agencies and funded programs of the United Nations) lead pro bono cases.
The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) [17] launched a legal aid program in 2009 to offer poor and vulnerable persons access to justice by providing pro bono legal assistance (representation and consultations) through both walk-in and in-prison cases.
Similar initiatives have been launched in Lebanon by other local and international non-governmental organization.TrustLaw, the pro bono service of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, offers pro bono opportunities and their projects occasionally include matters focused on Lebanon.[18]
Interested qualified attorneys may reach out to the bar associations and other local/international organizations in Lebanon (mentioned above) to explore opportunities with legal aid programs.
Pro Bono Firm of the Year at the IFLR Middle East Awards The Index of Pro Bono by TrustLaw / Thomson Reuters Foundation is not a ranking but allows the opportunity for firms to submit data on the number of pro bono hours they have delivered.
References
- See Chapter 7 of the Code for Civil Procedure in Lebanon. The legal aid procedure of Chapter 7 applies to all persons of Lebanese nationality, including resident persons in Lebanon (whom their countries of origin grants reciprocity to Lebanese nationals in connection with legal aid), who cannot afford the charges and fees of a trial.
- See Article 78 of the Code for Criminal Procedure in Lebanon.
- Each of the Beirut Bar Association and Tripoli Bar Association have created Legal Aid and Support Committees. Bar Associations have historically focused on providing legal aid through the court referral system rather than pro bono services. However, we have recently seen developments where bar associations have collaborated with international organizations to provide pro bono services. For example, the Beirut Bar Association (the “BBA”) and lawyers in commercial law firms provided significant pro bono legal services to individuals and NGOs after the Beirut port explosion in 2020.
- https://www.cldh-lebanon.org/OurPrograms/Legal_aid?utm_source (last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- The admission criteria differ for each bar association but is generally subject to pre-admission prerequisites for aspiring lawyers (four years of legal studies with a law degree, written tests and committee examinations, among other requirements). Upon initial admissions, aspiring lawyers must also undergo a series of requirements (which are generally completed within three to five years) before obtaining a full qualification to fully practice the legal profession in Lebanon.
- See Article 5 of Law no.8/70 on Regulating the Lawyer’s Profession of 11 March 1970 (as amended).
- See Article 112 of Law no.8/70 on Regulating the Lawyer’s Profession of 11 March 1970 (as amended).
- See Article 115 of the Law no.8/70 on Regulating the Lawyer’s Profession of 11 March 1970 (as amended).
- https://www.cldh-lebanon.org/HumanRightsBrie/Legal_Aid_in_Lebanon_EN_Designed.pdf?utm_source (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- https://ambelliban.cat/en/in-lebanon/ (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- https://www.lebanon3rf.org/sites/default/files/2023-12/Functional%20Review%20of%20the%20Justice%20system%20in%20Lebanon%20Summary%20Report-EN_0.pdf?utm_source (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- https://www.cldh-lebanon.org/OurPrograms/Legal_aid?utm_source (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- https://obeidpartners.com/pro-bono-csr/?utm_source (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- https://help.unhcr.org/lebanon/en/welcome/legal-aid/?utm_source (Last viewed 1 March 2026).
- https://the961.com/lebanon-legal-aid-hotline-services/?utm_source (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- See https://legal-agenda.com/. For example, see https://legal-agenda.com/%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%AA%D8%A4%D9%85%D9%91%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9/ (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- See https://www.cldh-lebanon.org/ (last viewed on 1 March 2026).
- https://www.trust.org/impact-story/supporting-the-non-profit-sector-amidst-lebanons-financial-crisis/ (Last viewed on 1 March 2026).
Acknowledgements
In connection with this chapter, we are grateful for the support and insight of Lebanon local counsel:
Latham & Watkins LLP
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.
