Overview
Paraguay has a tradition of providing free legal assistance for citizens with limited means, and the Ministry of Public Defense has over 390 paid attorneys who support and provide legal advice to such individuals.
In addition to legal aid provided by the public sector there is also an increasing movement among private law firms to provide free legal advice to vulnerable individuals, with pro bono culture expanding across local law firms and universities throughout Paraguay.
Pro bono practice faces a unique legal challenge under the Legal Fees Law, which theoretically allows pro bono lawyers to claim fees from clients, though reputable firms mitigate this risk through professional ethical commitments. This survey summarizes the existing legal regime relevant to the provision of pro bono legal services in Paraguay.
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 provision of legal services in Paraguay is governed by Law No. 879/81 “Judicial Organization Code” (the “Code”). The Code also establishes the requirements under which an individual can be admitted to practice law in Paraguay. The authority in charge of the application of the Code is the Supreme Court of Justice.[1] The Code applies to both lawyers in private practice and in-house lawyers.
The fees for the provision of legal services are regulated by Law No. 1.376/88[2], as amended by Law 4.590/15[3] (the “Legal Fees Law”), which is further discussed below.
Further, the Paraguayan Bar Association (the “Bar”) provides for an ethics code. However, this is only binding for members of the Bar.[4] The requirements for practicing law in Paraguay are governed by Article 87 et seq. of the Code. The Code sets forth the following requirements to practice law in Paraguay:
- obtaining a law degree issued by a duly acknowledged and authorized Paraguayan university (or having a foreign degree validated by the National Council of Education (“CONES”) and then registered with the Ministry of Education;
- being at least 18 years old;
- demonstrating a reputation of honour and good behaviour;
- taking an oath before the Supreme Court of Justice; and
- registering with the Supreme Court’s Register of Lawyers.
Note that practitioners are not required to be members of the Bar to practice law in Paraguay.[5]
Regulatory landscape for pro bono
In Paraguay, there is no obligation for lawyers to provide pro bono legal services, and there is no specific provision under Paraguayan law that expressly allows or regulates pro bono legal services.
To the contrary, the Legal Fees Law states that agreements/engagement letters with pro bono clients setting fees lower than those established by the Legal Fees Law are void. The Legal Fees Law states that a judge would determine the threshold of legal fees by considering the amount of the claim, the quality of the legal services, the complexity and significance of the matter and the economic gains by the client. The judge would generally apply a percentage ranging from 5% to 20% over the amount of the claim to establish this threshold. The higher the value of the claim, the lower the percentage. There are also certain processes and actions that have a fixed percentage under the Legal Fees Law.
The Legal Fees Law also states that a partial or total waiver of legal fees is void. Pro bono engagement letters can be declared void by a judge if the pro bono lawyer claims the payment of legal fees. Therefore, under the current Paraguayan legal framework, a pro bono lawyer could claim payment of legal fees in court pursuant to the Legal Fees Law. This risk is mitigated by the professional standards and ethical commitments of Paraguay’s most reputable law firms. These firms uphold the principle of providing genuine pro bono services and do not charge fees or initiate judicial claims to recover legal fees from their pro bono clients.
Lawyers do not require a license to provide pro bono legal services.
Foreign lawyers do not require any additional license to provide pro bono legal services in Paraguay. However, to practice law in Paraguay, foreign lawyers must have their foreign law degree recognized and validated by the CONES and then registered with the Ministry of Education (“MEC”). The process for foreign lawyers to be licensed in Paraguay involves submitting all documents in connection with their legal studies abroad duly apostilled. Once the documents have been recognized and validated by the CONES and registered with the MEC, the foreign lawyer is required to register at the Supreme Court’s Register of Lawyers.
Once this process is completed, foreign lawyers are allowed to practice law in Paraguay, including pro bono matters. Foreign lawyers cannot practice or advise in any field of law without being duly authorized to do so through the process described above.
Lawyers in Paraguay are not required to work a minimum number of pro bono hours.
Aspiring lawyers in Paraguay are not required to complete a minimum number of pro bono legal services in order to become licensed lawyers.
However, some universities in Paraguay require law students to complete a minimum number of hours of pro bono legal services in order to get their degree. For example, law students at the Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción are required to do pro bono work as part of the Legal Clinics Course (Consultorio Jurídico). The Universidad Nacional de Asunción has a legal clinic where students can voluntarily sign up to handle pro bono cases.
Lawyers in Paraguay are not required to meet aspirational pro bono hours targets.
Lawyers in Paraguay do not receive any “Continuing Legal Education” or equivalent credit for pro bono hours worked.
Insurance and advertising
Lawyers in Paraguay do not require professional indemnity legal insurance cover for any pro bono legal services that they provide. There are no differences for in-house lawyers.
There are no rules in Paraguay that prohibit advertising of pro bono successes or soliciting new pro bono clients.
However, lawyers are subject to the general restrictions on professional publicity set out in the Code of Ethics for Lawyers issued by the Bar Association of Paraguay (Colegio de Abogados del Paraguay). These rules require that any advertising be discreet, truthful, and consistent with the dignity of the profession, and prohibit misleading or comparative statements as well as undue client solicitation. Consequently, these restrictions would equally apply to any communication or publicity relating to pro bono work.
Pro bono practice and culture
The main areas of law which require the provision of pro bono legal services are: (i) Family Law; (ii) Criminal Law (including cases of violence against women and children); (iii) Labour Law; and (iv) Corporate Law.
There is a clear consensus amongst Paraguayan lawyers and the Paraguayan government that there is a significant shortfall in the provision of public legal aid services since there are not enough public defenders to meet the demands of individuals with limited economic resources and to ensure access to justice.
1. CIDSEP
The Centro Interdisciplinario de Derecho Social y Economía Política of the Universidad Católica (“CIDSEP”) in association with the Bar, is Paraguay’s leading clearinghouse for pro bono work. CIDSEP is currently working with six major law firms and approximately 60 independent lawyers. CIDSEP notifies practitioners when pro bono work becomes available giving due consideration to the area in which the practitioner is involved. [6]
2. International Red Pro Bono [7]
International Red Pro Bono is a foundation that assists and organizes pro bono legal services for lawyers and law firms. The foundation was created in 2000 and since then it has implemented work programs to provide opportunities for attorneys to get involved in pro bono opportunities. The foundation facilitates pro bono legal services across various areas, including corporate advice, dispute advice, legal reports and judicial representation to improve access to free justice in Paraguay.
3. Universidad Católica [8]
Law students at the Catholic University of Asunción are required to do pro bono work as part of the Legal Clinics Course (Consultorio Jurídico) (as mentioned above).
4. Universidad Nacional de Asunción [9]
In 2017, the Legal Clinic (Consultorio Jurídico) was established with the purpose of providing free legal assistance to individuals with limited financial resources; while offering law students valuable practical experience in serving the community.[10]
5. Law Firms Pro Bono programs
A few private law firms in Paraguay have pro bono programs in place. For example, FERRERE Abogados, Vinclum Abogados & Consultores, Berkemeyer, and Gross Brown are among the firms that have such initiatives in place.
We are not aware of any application of innovative technology or artificial intelligence to enable access to pro bono.
Sources of pro bono opportunities and key contacts
1. CIDSEP
The Centro Interdisciplinario de Derecho Social y Economía Política of the Universidad Católica (“CIDSEP”) in association with the Bar, is Paraguay’s leading clearinghouse for pro bono work. CIDSEP is currently working with six major law firms and approximately 60 independent lawyers. CIDSEP notifies practitioners when pro bono work becomes available giving due consideration to the area in which the practitioner is involved.[11]
2. International Red Pro Bono [12]
International Red Pro Bono is a foundation that assists and organizes pro bono legal services for lawyers and law firms. The foundation was created in 2000 and since then it has implemented work programs to provide opportunities for attorneys to get involved in pro bono opportunities. The foundation facilitates pro bono legal services across various areas, including corporate advice, dispute advice, legal reports and judicial representation to improve access to free justice in Paraguay.
CIDSEP
As discussed above, CIDSEP is a clearinghouse for pro bono work. Contact details for CIDSEP are as follows:
Address: Alberdi 855 casi Piribebuy, Paraguay
Phone: (595 21) 445429
Email: [email protected]
International Red Pro Bono [13]
As mentioned above, the foundation has implemented work programs to provide opportunities for attorneys to get involved in pro bono opportunities. The foundation facilitates pro bono services across various areas, including corporate advice, dispute advice, legal reports and judicial representation to improve access to free justice in Paraguay.
Address: Mariano Sánchez Fontecilla Nº 370 Las Condes – Santiago de Chile
Phone: (562 38) 156 60
Email: [email protected]
There are no national awards, lists, or rankings specifically related to pro bono work in Paraguay. However, there are international recognitions for pro bono practice by country, such as Latin Lawyer Pro Bono Leading Lights [14.]
References
- Please refer to the following link for more information on the Code: https://www.pj.gov.py/descargar/ID1-60_id482_codigo_organizacion_judicial.pdf (last visited on January 22, 2025).
- Please refer to the following link for more information on the Legal Fees Law: https://www.bacn.gov.py/leyes-paraguayas/2444/ley-n-1376-arancel-de-honorarios-de-abogados-y-procuradores (last visited on January 22, 2025).
- Please refer to the following link for more information on the amendment: https://www.bacn.gov.py/leyes-paraguayas/3098/ley-n-4590-modifica-los-articulos-ns-27-inciso-e-54-y-55-de-la-ley-n-137688-arancel-de-honorarios-de-abogados-y-procuradores (last visited on January 22, 2025).
- Please refer to the following link for more information on the Bar: https://colegiodeabogados.org.py/ (last visited on January 22, 2025).
- Please refer to the following link for more information: https://www.pj.gov.py/contenido/1356-juramento-de-abogados-servicio-gratuito/1356 (last visited on January 22, 2025).
- Please refer to the CIDSEP’s social media accounts for more information: https://www.instagram.com/cidsepuc/?hl=es-la, https://www.facebook.com/cidsepUC/?locale=es_LA and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQWhaSG2EhHhT9ibtIXowzw (last visited on October 2, 2025).
- See http://redprobono.org/ (last visited on January 22, 2025)
- See https://www.universidadcatolica.edu.py/ (last visited on January 22, 2025)
- See https://www.una.py/ (last visited on January 22, 2025)
- See https://www.der.una.py/index.php/extension/consultorio-juridico/antecedentes (last visited on January 22, 2025)
- Please refer to the CIDSEP’s social media accounts for more information: https://www.instagram.com/cidsepuc/?hl=es-la, https://www.facebook.com/cidsepUC/?locale=es_LA and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQWhaSG2EhHhT9ibtIXowzw (last visited on October 2, 2025).
- See http://redprobono.org/ (last visited on January 22, 2025)
- See http://redprobono.org/ (last visited on January 22, 2025).
- See https://latinlawyer.com/survey/pro-bono/2024/article/pro-bono-leading-lights (last visited on January 22, 2025).
Acknowledgements
Name of Local Counsel: Ferrere Abogados
Name of Individual at Local Counsel: Marcelo Rodríguez
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.
