Mills Oakley is committed to promoting a strong pro bono culture. All Mills Oakley lawyers are encouraged to source and run pro bono matters in their areas of legal expertise and receive unlimited pro bono budget relief throughout the year to participate. This means there are no financial disincentives standing in the way of staff who may wish to take on pro bono work throughout the year.

In FY24/25, Mills Oakley proudly engaged in 25,918 hours of pro bono legal work, or 44.15 hours of pro bono per lawyer. 82% of our lawyers and partners participated in the program. Separately, 90 of the firm’s paralegals conducted 532 hours of pro bono legal work. This represents a significant portion of our legal team and underscores the firm-wide embrace of our pro bono mission. Additionally, we are proud of the many corporate services staff who also contribute, highlighting that our commitment to social justice is not limited to lawyers alone.

In addition to our in-house pro bono program, Mills Oakley fully funds a national charitable community legal service – Everyday Justice. Everyday Justice is staffed by four Mills Oakley lawyers experienced in social justice lawyering (including one dedicated Pro Bono Partner), who are permanently seconded into the service. Everyday Justice aims to provide access to justice to the ‘missing middle’ – individuals and organisations who demonstrate a need for legal assistance but cannot obtain Legal Aid or access the legal system without incurring substantial financial hardship. Each year, Everyday Justice assists over 800 clients in a range of civil practice areas.

Our pro bono team provides regular training sessions to ‘upskill’ our lawyers so that they can provide more meaningful assistance to pro bono clients. We have trained approximately 150 lawyers to draft simple wills and regularly run training sessions on interviewing and engaging with vulnerable clients.

By embedding pro bono work into our operational framework, rewarding participation, and offering opportunities for diverse contributions, we ensure pro bono is not just an add-on, but a vital and celebrated part of our professional identity.

In recognition of our efforts, Mills Oakley won the “Pro Bono: Outstanding Firm” award at the Chambers Asia-Pacific and Greater China Region Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2024 and in April 2025 “Pro Bono firm of the Year” at the IFLR Asia Pacific Awards.

Through Mills Oakley’s commitment, we are proud to be creating real, tangible impact in the community while inspiring a new generation of socially engaged legal professionals.