A tradition of pro bono publico legal work (hereafter “pro bono”) existed in England and Wales for centuries and was adopted, along with many other traditions, in the legal systems of British colonies. The questions we address here are how pro bono legal services in the jurisdiction have changed and why. In considering these questions, we are concerned with the infrastructure of provision (the architecture of pro bono), the volumes and nature of work performed (the typology of pro bono), and the causative factors underlying current patterns (the genealogy of pro bono). The answers to our research questions are relevant to understanding the significance of pro bono services. This will assist with practical issues, such as the reliability of pro bono provision in supporting access to justice, and theoretical issues, such as the significance of pro bono to legal professionalism.