Pro Bono On the Big Screen

The PBEye thinks you’ll want to check out the work of two pro bono lawyers from Bingham McCutchen LLP*, that’s featured in a documentary film which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.  The film, Crime After Crime, was directed by Yoav Potash and depicts the case of Deborah Peagler, a woman imprisoned in California.  Peagler’s physically abusive boyfriend forced her into prostitution, and after his murder, she was sentenced to twenty-six years for her connection to it.

At the time of Peagler’s trial there was less public awareness of domestic violence issues, and suspected malfeasance by the D.A.’s office, so the full circumstances of her case were never heard.  Once a new penal code was introduced in California two decades after her sentencing, two Bingham pro bono lawyers, Nadia Costa and Joshua Safran, signed on to reopen the case.  And once Peagler was diagnosed with cancer, her judicial fate became more urgent.

Woven through the narrative of the film is the harsh statistic that 80 percent of women in American prisons are survivors of rape or some form of domestic violence.  The film advocates for more states to revisit their penal codes to consider the circumstances of abuse.  Debbie Peagler was released on parole on August 22, 2009.  She died in June 2010 from lung cancer.

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

January Pro Bono Wire

The January edition of The Wire is now online for your enjoyment. You can check out all the news that’s fit for electronic publication, including:

A Letter From Esther – PBI’s Esther Lardent talks about upcoming changes at PBI and their impact on how we communicate about pro bono;
Reporting Open for Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® 2010 — Report your firm’s pro bono hours for 2010;
Register Now for the 2011 PBI Annual Seminar/Forum: Maintaining Momentum — The Annual Seminar and Forum on In-House Pro Bono offers the practical tools, contacts, and inspiration you need to take your pro bono program to the next level;

And much more!  Be sure to check it out and see what you may have missed! Get The Wire delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.

The Intersection of Pro Bono and Corporate Social Responsibility

Tomorrow CPBO will travel to Dallas to host an onsite pro bono clinic (otherwise known as Clinic-in-a-Box℠) in partnership with TXU Energy and Vinson & Elkins LLP*.  The TXU Clinic is an example of the growing trend among legal departments choosing to work with the company’s nonprofit or corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm.  In the past, legal departments partnered with an outside public interest group or legal services organization to recruit nonprofit clients for participation in the Clinic-in-a-Box℠ program.  Now TXU, along with other legal departments, including Fidelity Investments and The Gap**, are expanding their options and are partnering with the company’s foundation to recruit nonprofits, giving company lawyers the opportunity to serve clients with whom the company already has an established relationship.

This trend highlights a growing interest among legal departments in undertaking pro bono projects that tie into the company’s CSR efforts.  Pro bono that complements a company’s CSR program enables attorneys to feel more connected to the larger company. In addition, having a unified, company-wide message with regards to community involvement increases awareness and strengthens the impact of good works on communities served.  Increasingly, legal departments are recognizing that pro bono service adds value and breadth to a company’s CSR profile.

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

Involving Smaller Legal Departments and Remote Offices

For small legal departments, or larger departments that also have smaller remote or regional offices, finding pro bono opportunities can be a challenge.  Each year at the Forum on In-House Pro Bono, Corporate Pro Bono, and the conference’s in-house attendees create a list of best practices that address this and a host of similar issues. 

So, how do you involve smaller, regional, or more remote offices in pro bono? Why not take advantage of these suggestions:

• Identify desktop pro bono opportunities. For offices in an area without many opportunities, virtual pro bono presents a viable alternative. These opportunities may include:    
  • Administrative hearings by conference call;
  • Staffing legal hotlines;
  • Staffing forwarded calls;
  • Reviewing files/documents at your desk;
  • Conducting research on a larger matter; or
  • Drafting templates/questionnaire/agreements that can be done remotely or by non-attorneys;
• Collaborate with other departments.  Consider partnering with other legal departments in the area that have formal pro bono programs. Form a collaborative network of companies that can act together to staff projects;
• Identify legal service organizations that host regular pro bono clinics or similar offerings.  Become engaged in scheduled pro bono events where lawyers from around the region are invited to participate;
• Make use of local Association of Corporate Counsel Chapters or other bar associations.  Access programs offered by associations that have the support and resources to drive the programs; or
• Let regional offices of larger departments ‘own’ their program.  Allow smaller offices to tailor their pro bono program to the interests and skills set of the legal staff as well as the unique features of the region. 

There are lots of opportunities for smaller and/or remote departments. You can learn about these and more tools and tips for in-house legal departments at the 2011 Pro Bono Institute Seminar and Forum on In-House Pro Bono. We hope to see you there!

Remembering the Czar

The death of Jerry Solovy, chair emeritus of Jenner & Block LLP*, is a profound loss for the legal profession and for pro bono.  Jerry was a remarkable lawyer and a brilliant litigator.  He took the law and the justice system very seriously, but, despite his renown and stature, he did not take himself seriously.  Hence his preferred nickname “The Czar” which found its way onto his business cards and office notepaper. 

Jerry was a lifelong passionate supporter of and hands-on participant in pro bono, beginning, as a younger lawyer, with the Witherspoon death penalty case, one of his favorites, and continuing even as his reputation and workload grew.  As the head of Jenner & Block, Jerry built and ran a great law firm that made pro bono a core value, never merely something on the side.  As a result, Jenner is one of the world’s greatest pro bono firms, taking on a wide variety of often controversial and time-intensive pro bono matters and providing their pro bono clients the highest quality of advocacy and professionalism.

Jerry Solovy was a great friend of the Pro Bono Institute.  He served for many years on our Law Firm Pro Bono Project Advisory Committee and was a great supporter of the launch of our Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®, reveling in how controversial the Challenge was in its inception.  In shaping his firm’s pro bono program, he mentored several generations of lawyers there who share his commitment to public service.  We will miss his impatience with conventional wisdom, wise counsel, great humor, and elegant turn of phrase.  Most of all, we will miss his passion for helping the most oppressed and vulnerable among us. 

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

Everything I Need to Know about Pro Bono…I learned at Law Firm Pro Bono 101

Are you a newly appointed managing partner, pro bono committee chair, pro bono counsel, partner, or coordinator?  Are you a firm leader that has recently created or restructured a formal pro bono program or are planning to do so in 2011?  Do you like continental breakfast? If you’ve answered yes to two or more of these questions, please join us for Law Firm Pro Bono 101, on March 3 at 8:30 a.m., to kick off this year’s Annual Seminar/Forum.  This session is an interactive crash course on structuring, implementing, and administering successful law firm pro bono programs.  PBI staff members will provide you tips for navigating the Seminar in order to maximize your “newbie” experience, and you will learn how to get the most out of what the Law Firm Pro Bono Project has to offer year-round.

Speaking of resources, in addition to the materials flash drive provided to all Seminar/Forum registrants, each 101 attendee will be the proud owner of a brand new “Nuts and Bolts of Law Firm Pro Bono” CD, which includes examples of various pro bono annual reports, pro bono awards, global pro bono opportunities, pro bono marketing, pro bono policies and procedures, numerous Pro Bono Institute publications, and other resources that will make your life easier as you strive to improve your firm’s pro bono program.

Pre-registration is required for this program, and space is limited, so sign up today through your personal Cvent registration page.  If you did not receive an e-vite to the Seminar/Forum please contact probonoseminar@courtesyassoc.com. 

This session is always one of our favorites and a great way for you to learn from your colleagues in law firm pro bono.  We hope to see you there!

VIDEO: Pro Bono Is Alive and Well

The PBEye was disheartened to see an article about the decline in the number of pro bono lawyers, earlier this week.  In fact, we’re certain that’s not the case so went right to our resident expert, PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent to get the real story.  She set the record straight for us:

You can check out the two reports that Lardent references, Report on the 2009 Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Statistics and Law Firm Pro Bono Hours in 2010 – (Midyear) Survey Report to get a feel for the numbers.  For more information on the 2011 Pro Bono InstituteSeminar and Forum on In-House Pro Bono and to learn how you can attend, click here.

VIDEO: Pro Bono, the Recession, and Public Interest

The PBEye recently had the privilege of meeting with Appleseed Executive Director Betsy Cavendish who has guided the organization through a number of social justice programs, particularly in the areas of financial access, education, and immigrant rights – and has a unique perspective on the issues.

The PBEye snagged Cavendish for a few minutes to talk about trends in pro bono through the recession from the perspective of a public interest organization that works with law firms and legal departments to help close the justice gap on daily basis. We’ve shared her thoughts on the growth of pro bono work through the recession, the emergence of new pro bono opportunities, and new interest in controversial projects among other topics.

PBI offers a number of services and resources to public interest organizations that are looking to partner with law firms and corporate legal departments to further their missions.  More information is available here.

The Early Bird Gets the…

Just a reminder that today is your last chance to take advantage of the early bird rates for the 2011 Pro Bono Insititute Seminar and Forum on In-House Pro Bono!  By registering and submitting your payment today, you can save money on the legal community’s premier pro bono training event — and who doesn’t like saving money?  

This year’s Seminar/Forum offers sessions for seasoned pro bono pros as well as newcomers to the field, unparalleled networking opportunities, and special events with pro bono leaders and visionaries. The Seminar/Forum gives you access to best practices and emerging issues, trends and innovations, cutting-edge developments in the fast-changing world of pro bono, and new and compelling pro bono opportunities in public interest law.  Trust us, you won’t want to miss it!

To be sure you secure the early bird rate, simply go to the online website and submit your registration and payment today!

CPBO Spotlight On: Computer Sciences Corporation

A Charter Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has provided its lawyers and paralegals a range of opportunities to assist underserved communities, including veterans, low-income seniors and individuals with permanent resident status. CSC General Counsel William L. Deckelman Jr. has overseen the company’s legal department since 2008 and has consistently supported CSC’s involvement with various pro bono projects. Sharing the recent work of the CSC pro bono program, Deckelman commented that these stories are just a few reminders of “the incredible good that can result from pro bono efforts.”

In 2010, a significant number of CSC’s United States based staff participated in CSC’s pro bono program. Attorneys and paralegals based at the company’s Falls Church, Va., headquarters participated in the Wills on Wheels project, sponsored by the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center. Volunteers visited sites throughout the community to draft end-of-life and planning documents such as wills, health care directives, and powers of attorney for low-income seniors. Read more…