Houston, We Have Pro Bono

Last year, the South Texas Law Review and Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program hosted the 16^th Annual Ethics Symposium.  The theme was “Pro Bono Services: Meeting the Ethical Obligations of the Practicing Bar and the Law Schools.”  The event was organized by Elizabeth Dennis, assistant dean and associate professor of clinical studies at South Texas College of Law, and Ellyn Haikin Josef, pro bono coordinator at Vinson & Elkins*,  and brought together attorneys from law firms, legal departments, and public interest organizations of all sizes; law school faculty; and law students to contemplate various aspects of pro bono service.  We were delighted to be included in this city-wide pro bono program – Reena N. Glazer, assistant director of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project delivered the keynote address, “Revisiting the Business Case for Law Firm Pro Bono.”   

The conversations were both inspirational and practical.  Community-wide events like the Houston Symposium are particularly important and effective, since they offer unparalleled opportunities to reassess legal services delivery systems and opportunities for pro bono lawyers to maximize their impact.  This symposium had the additional benefit of helping to inculcate the next generation of lawyers.  Studies consistently demonstrate that students who are introduced to pro bono in law school report a far greater likelihood of career-long pro bono participation.  Emphasizing partnerships and other collaborative efforts between and among law firms, legal departments, and public interest organizations helps to orient law students to pro bono practice realities in a positive and productive manner.  The discussions provide law students with genuine insight into a variety of perspectives and practical suggestions for developing efficient and meaningful pro bono working relationships.  These types of programs can serve as models for legal communities around the country as they endeavor to ensure that their efforts are making a difference in enhancing access to justice and narrowing the justice gap.  Feel free to contact PBI for assistance in planning an event in your community.

The Symposium program (articles and transcripts) has just been published (at 51 S. Tex. L. Rev. 555-759 (2010)).  Articles include:

•  Revisiting the Business Case for Law Firm Pro Bono    
• The Value of Service
• Pro Bono Service in a Large Urban Setting
• Is Bigger Better? The Large Law Firm Model of Meeting the Pro Bono Obligation
• Law Schools Working Together to Increase Access to Justice
• Pro Bono Services: A Family Law Experience
• Expansion of the Lawyers’ Role to Problem Solver: Increased Opportunities for Pro Bono Work
• Impedimenta: The Casting of Spells in American Law Against Immigrant Women and Children Fleeing Violence
• Being Mindful of the Administration of Justice and Employing That Knowledge in Reform of the Law: How Policy Work Can Affect Change for Many and Fulfill the Ethical Obligations of Texas Lawyers

Food for thought on a range of pro bono topics.  Congratulations to the organizers, law review editors, and participants – and thanks for including the Law Firm Pro Bono Project.

* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^®

Pro Bono Clinics Take Off!

Corporate Pro Bono just returned from its fourth trip to the Bay Area this year! During each visit, CPBO partnered with local organizations to host a Clinic-in-a-Box^SM.  CPBO is excited to see unprecedented interest among corporate legal departments and ACC Chapters in hosting clinics. In 2010, CPBO significantly increased the number of clinics it hosted, a clear statement of the momentum behind in-house pro bono.

CPBO’s off-the-shelf clinic model provides in-house attorneys the opportunity to meet with local nonprofits or small businesses to provide a free legal assessment of the organization.  As part of the clinic, volunteer lawyers also receive onsite CLE training in preparation for meeting with clients. 

As the year draws to a close, we’re happy to report that this year more than 300 in-house attorneys participated in CPBO’s 10 clinics, providing legal assistance to 94 nonprofit organizations and small businesses. Together, these 94 organizations serve nearly 218,000 low-income people. Without a doubt, clinics have had a far-reaching impact—and we congratulate and commend in-house attorneys for their commitment to pro bono and their communities!

 For the latest updates about CPBO’s whereabouts, visit us on Twitter.  And if you’d like more information about the Clinic-in-a-Box^SM model, or to inquire about partnering with CPBO to host a clinic, contact Eve Runyon, CPBO project director.

Holiday Giving

Still looking for a gift for your favorite pro bono junkie?  Check out this gorgeous new book, The Power of Pro Bono, by our friend John Cary, president and CEO of Next American City and former executive director of Public Architecture.  You may remember John from the 2007 Pro Bono Institute Annual Seminar/Forum on In-House Pro Bono – New Challenges, New Solutions, where he spoke at a fabulous session, “Pro Bono in Other Professions.”

The Power of Pro Bono explores 40 pro bono design projects from across the country. The clients include grassroots community organizations like the Homeless Prenatal Program of San Francisco, as well as national and international nonprofits, among them Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, KIPP Schools, and Planned Parenthood.  These public-interest projects were designed by a range of award-winning practices, from young studios to some of the largest firms in the country, and represent six general categories: Arts, Civic, Community, Education, Health, and Housing.  This book is inspired and informed by the advocacy and design work of Public Architecture, whose 1% program challenges architecture and design firms nationwide to pledge a minimum of one percent of their time to pro bono service, leveraging in excess of $25 million in donated services annually.

The book offers beautiful images that reflect the impressive impact of their work and includes several moving essays that make the case for why access to good design is not just a nice luxury but critical to a just and civil society (sound familiar?). 

What are your favorite pro bono-related gifts?  Leave a comment and let us know!

100 and Counting!

In November, Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) announced a tremendous and exciting milestone for in-house pro bono—100 Signatories to the CPBO Challenge^SM.  These Signatories include companies that represent a range of industries and regions, and have legal departments of varying size.

Since Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. joined as the 100^th Challenge Signatory, CPBO has added The Gap, Inc., United Continental Holdings, Inc., Golden State Foods Corp., , McDonald’s Corporation, and Deloitte to the list of Signatories. A diverse collection of legal departments, this group shares at least one thing in common—a serious commitment to pro bono.  Prior to Walmart, CPBO welcomed to the Challenge the Association of Corporate Counsel, US Bancorp, and Symantec Corporation.

The recent uptick in Challenge Signatories reflects unprecedented momentum and growth of in-house pro bono.   In the past five years, legal departments across the country have moved to formalize their volunteer efforts by developing pro bono programs for their lawyers and staff.  An important goal of the Challenge is to enable Signatories to measure the impact of their pro bono work on both the community and also on the legal department staff.

You can learn more about the pro bono successes of highlighted CPBO Challenge^SM companies by reading the Challenge 100 Spotlight stories or by visiting the CPBO website for a full list of Challenge Signatories.  Over the course of the coming year, The PBEye and CPBO will spotlight a different Challenge Signatory each month, so be sure to keep an eye out for more to come from the CPBO Challenge^SM Signatories and in-house pro bono.

Welcome to The PBEye!

As a part of our ongoing growth and the development of our new website, the Pro Bono Institute is proud to announce the launch of our new blog, The PBEye.  We will highlight pro bono from the unique perspective of PBI, bringing you breaking news, best practices, emerging issues, research, analysis and key points from our internal projects in a way that only we know how.  The PBIEye will be your source for what’s new in the world of pro bono. 

 The blog will feature:

• video clips from pro bono practitioners, offering advice and best practices;
• highlights from PBI events, research, seminars, and other opportunities;
• pro bono victories, challenges, and spotlights from our members and partners; and
• exclusive analysis of ongoing issues and concerns to pro bono practitioners.

 Be sure to bookmark us and share us with a friend!