About the CPP

The Cambridge Pro Bono Project ('CPP') was established within the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge in 2010, and launched by Professor Philippe Sands QC. It is administered by an Executive Committee, consisting of Faculty members and graduate law students.

Since its inauguration, the CPP has partnered with dozens of bodies, including NGOs, charities, barristers’ chambers and courts to undertake a number of major projects each year, some of which are described under the Projects tab. Not all projects are listed for client confidentiality reasons.  

The CPP is a research centre, not a legal clinic. It works on a model which draws on the subject-matter expertise of graduate doctoral researchers, masters students, and Faculty experts, to produce reports on a wide range of public interest matters, including in the fields of public international law, criminal law, and domestic British public law.  

We also host a number of events, focused on public, criminal and international law: in 2024, our Annual Lecture was given by Professor Christine Chinkin. In 2025, our Annual Lecture was given with Professor Judge Leonardo Brant (International Court of Justice; Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil). 

The CPP celebrated its 10th anniversary in March 2020.