Pro Bono
Pro Bono
As part of our commitment to the UN Global Compact, our pro bono work promotes human rights and supports an equal and participatory society.
This includes work for NGOs that support immigrants, at-risk children, youths, women, LGBTI people and other minorities that may face discrimination.
Our work is divided into three different categories:
- We give legal support to NGOs that support immigrants, at-risk children, youths, women, LGBTI people and other minorities that may face discrimination.
- Our employees can dedicate one paid workday to pro bono work each year.
- We also take on individual pro bono assignments selected by the management group.
Please note that Castrén & Snellman is a business law firm specialised in advising companies, associations and organisations. We are unfortunately unable to provide pro bono support to private individuals.
Our Pro Bono Partners
The Finnish Refugee Advice Centre
The Finnish Refugee Advice Centre is a non-governmental organisation and law firm specialised in immigration law, which provides legal aid and advice to asylum seekers and refugees, for example in asylum and other residence permit matters. It is one of three Finnish partners of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Together we promote the realisation of human rights and the position of refugees in Finland. The partnership with C&S has enabled the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre to take more cases to supranational courts than it otherwise would have.
The Finnish Olympic Committee
We have been a partner and legal advisor to the Finnish Olympic Committee since 2013. Our partnership supports the Olympic Committee’s excellent work on behalf of athletics in Finland. During the Olympics, we help athletes and national sports associations, for example, in interpreting the rules relating to sponsorships. Between games, we advise the Olympic Committee in in sports law matters and in supporting a physically active life for children and youths.
The Uusimaa District of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare
The Uusimaa District of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare works to ensure that every child has a good and happy childhood by providing day-to-day support to families with children. Volunteers help over 700 families annually, family houses support parenting, and multilingual family cafes and parent groups support immigrant parents with integration and parenting.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major negative impact on the wellbeing of families in Finland. Our legal assistance helps the organisation focus its resources on helping families with children. We have worked with the organisation since 2019.
Red Cross Youth Shelters
Red Cross Youth Shelters offers youths and their loved ones support in managing everyday life, family conflicts and support in becoming independent. Youth shelters are open 24/7 in Finland’s larger cities. Nationwide, the youth shelters offer a variety of digital services. The importance of reliable and accessible support has increased during the pandemic, and recent development work has focused on youth services, for example an Sekasin online chat service. Our experts have helped with accessibility and data protection issues and participated in development workshops for the chat service.
