When Simpson Grierson joined the Framework for Collaborative Pro Bono in Aotearoa as a founding signatory in November 2024, the aspiration was clear: to build something that could collectively motivate access to justice in ways no single firm could achieve alone.

The first annual performance report of the Framework, published today, shows that aspiration is being realised. Across the six founding firms, lawyers delivered more than 17,500 hours of free legal work in 2025, exceeding the Framework's aspirational 25-hour target per lawyer in its very first year.

The report, produced with the support of the New Zealand Law Society, which collects and anonymises data on behalf of participating firms, shows that two in three lawyers across the six firms undertook at least one hour of pro bono work during 2025, with an average of 41 hours among those who participated.

Simpson Grierson joined the Framework alongside DLA Piper, Gilbert Walker, Holland Beckett, Luke Cunningham Clere and Russell McVeagh, working with Te Ara Ture, the national pro bono clearinghouse within Community Law Centres Aotearoa.

Simpson Grierson Pro Bono Partner Shan Wilson says the Framework reflects something the firm has long believed.

"We recognise that some give back of our legal skills on a pro bono basis should be part of being in a profession. Here at Simpson Grierson, pro bono is woven into the fabric of Simpson Grierson: our people love this work, and we find it makes them better, more well-rounded lawyers.

"What the Framework does is give that commitment structure and shared purpose across the profession, because no single firm can address the scale of unmet legal need in Aotearoa on its own.

"The Framework is about building something collectively that is bigger and more enduring than what any of us could achieve alone. I hope to see it increasingly adopted across New Zealand's legal profession," says Shan.

Pro bono work at Simpson Grierson spans community law centres, charities, not-for-profit organisations and referred individuals in need. In the past year, the firm's lawyers worked with organisations including Youthline, Refugees As Survivors NZ, Wellington Pride Festival, Child Cancer Foundation and Christian’s Against Poverty, across a wide range of legal matters.

To read the Framework's first annual performance report, click here.

To read Simpson Grierson's 2025 Invested for Good Pro Bono Report, click here.