At ENS, we are very aware of the South African socio-economic context in which we operate. And more than this, we have deliberately chosen social responsibility as one of our firm’s core values as we believe in, and want, to make a tangible difference. It is with sincere commitment and enthusiasm therefore that ENS provides access to justice to people who cannot afford to pay. Not only do we provide legal services to the poor, but we have established pro bono offices right in the heart of poverty-stricken communities, where we can provide these free legal services and educate people about their rights without them having to travel or incur extra costs in terms of coming to our offices in the centre of town. Over the past 3 years, we have opened permanent offices in Alexandra, Johannesburg and Mitchell's Plain in Cape Town. "By being situated in the heart of Alexandra in Johannesburg and Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, we are accessible to the very people who need pro bono services most. By going to the people, we are demonstrating our willingness and commitment to support our community in a meaningful manner. If we were to do all our pro bono work from our offices, then those in need of assistance would probably have to take a day off work and may not have the money to travel to the city centre," says Taswell Papier, a longtime human rights lawyer who worked in Mitchells Plain for many years, now a director at ENS and the architect of ENS's pro bono initiative
