LAWYER IN THE FREE LEGAL AID SYSTEM IN THE EU COUNTRIES (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE PRO BONO MODEL)

The article provides a detailed description of the practice of providing legal aid on a voluntary basis (on the example of the pro bono model) and the role of a lawyer in it in four European Union member states: the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and Hungary. These countries have been chosen to describe the above practices in detail, as they reflect the varying degrees of pro bono practice in Europe: from countries just beginning to develop a culture of pro bono service at the local level (Spain) to countries with useful examples of providing legal aid on a voluntary basis together with the Commissioner for Human Rights (Czech Republic), as well as examples of raising awareness and improving the professional ethics of a lawyer (Hungary). The author points out that the study of national systems of free legal aid in the EU countries provides a common basis (criteria) for their classification. It is defined that pro bono is the provision of legal aid for the public good, and not for commercial purposes, on a voluntary and unpaid basis. Such assistance is free of charge for the client and is provided at the same professional level as paid legal aid. The author also emphasizes that the lawyer in each model of free legal aid of the considered countries of the European Union has certain similar and distinctive features of activity on rendering of legal services on a public basis.