A NUMBER of trainee and qualified solicitors from local law firms are offering pro bono services at the Legal Advice Centre at the Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE) in St Matthews Street, Ipswich.

A NUMBER of trainee and qualified solicitors from local law firms are offering pro bono services at the Legal Advice Centre at the Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE) in St Matthews Street, Ipswich.

Pro bono, meaning “for the public good”, involves members of the legal profession providing legal assistance to the local community without charge.

Jonathan Ripman, a partner of Gotelee &d Goldsmith Solicitors and co-ordinator of the project, said: “All the volunteers approach their pro bono work with the same integrity and commitment as their work for their own firms.

“The result is that members of the public, who may otherwise be unable to see a solicitor, are provided with a high quality of service and are not disadvantaged in their access to legal advice.”

The Legal Advice Centre was set up as a partnership between ISCRE and the Suffolk and North Essex Law Society in 1995.

It was initially introduced to meet a perceived need for members of black and minority ethnic communities, who were reluctant to visit solicitors' offices or were unsure how to access legal advice. The remit has now broadened and the centre provides free legal advice to all communities within Suffolk who may otherwise be unable to see a solicitor.

The centre operates twice a month on Thursday evenings and offers free appointments of up to 30 minutes. To make an appointment, call 01473 408111 or email office@iscre.org.uk.