Calling All Good Global Citizens!

On February 7, at 12:00 p.m. EST, CPBO and PBI’s Global Pro Bono Project are bringing you an exciting webinar, “Exploring In-House Global Pro Bono.”  In-house leaders Bruce Ives, vice president and deputy general counsel at Hewlett-Packard Company**; Esteban Mazzucco, legal director for Latin America South at Syngenta; and Michael Sposato, deputy general counsel at Caterpillar Inc.**, will share their experiences and perspectives on doing global pro bono work.  Topics to be tackled by our trio of experts include:

• identifying quality global pro bono partners and projects;
• structuring and managing a global pro bono component;
• leveraging in-house resources by partnering with law firms and NGOs;
• understanding multijurisdictional practice issues;
• identifying and overcoming obstacles in jurisdictions with no history or tradition of pro bono;
• teambuilding and engaging remote offices through collaborative global pro bono projects;
• involving non-lawyer staff in global pro bono;
• enhancing employee recruitment, retention and advancement through global pro bono;
• boosting business and building reputation in emerging markets by advancing democracy and the rule of law through pro bono;
• and, much more!

Whether you’re interested in engaging your offices abroad in pro bono, acquiring unique new legal skills and experiences, traveling to improve the lives of people in a place you’ve only read about, or bringing your legal talent to bear on the world’s most pressing problems without ever leaving your desk, our expert panelists agree that global pro bono opportunities exist for any lawyer, anywhere, with any skill set.

Please join us to discover the power of global pro bono in stimulating and engaging in-house legal professionals while enhancing your company’s existing CSR scheme!  CLE credit is available for this program in many states.  Registration is required to access this program, either live or on-demand as a recording.  To register or to submit questions in advance of the program, please contact CPBO Project Assistant Sarah Neuman.

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

. . . And a Happy New Year!

The PBEye is looking ahead to the New Year and all the diets, resolutions, and beginnings that come along with it.  We’re taking the next week off to celebrate the holidays, but we’ll be back and ready to bring you pro bono as we see it on January 3.  In the meantime, we hope you and yours enjoy a happy and healthy holiday and a bright and exciting New Year!

VIDEO: Why Do Pro Bono?

Why do pro bono?  It’s a question that The PBEye loves hearing because there are so many good reasons.

For starters, it may help you live longer.  You can literally change the world with pro bono.  With enough dedication to pro bono, you can help someone get his life back.  Or maybe you do pro bono because you believe that access to justice is a fundamental human right that no one should be denied.  We could go on and on, but we’d rather let you hear it from those who do it every day.

Faces of Pro Bono

Tonight’s the night!  The Pro Bono Institute’s Annual Dinner will be held tonight in New York.  Co-Chaired by Ford Motor Company*‘s David Leitch and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP*‘s William Lee, the Dinner is sure to be a smashing success. 

This year’s Dinner will honor Morrison & Foerster LLP* with the John H. Pickering Award and the partnership of Verizon Communications Inc.** and DLA Piper LLP* with the CPBO Partner Award for their outstanding achievements and commitment to pro bono.  The Dinner will also celebrate the 15th anniversary of the founding of PBI. 

The PBEye is especially excited about the Dinner’s special guest, Dewey Bozella, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 26 years in prison. He was released in 2008 thanks to the hard work of attorneys at WilmerHale, who took his case pro bono.  An amateur boxer, Bozella recently won his first professional bout. 

Be sure to check back with The PBEye for photo and video highlights from the Dinner in coming weeks.  We’re taking tomorrow off, and will be back on Monday.  In the meantime, check out more information about this year’s event, and relive past year’s Dinners.

Webinar Recap: Trends in In-House Pro Bono

Did you tune in? Last month CPBO moderated a webinar exploring recent trends in in-house pro bono.  Panelists Tianne Bataille, senior counsel at Accenture LLC**, and John Frantz, vice president and associate general counsel at Verizon Communications Inc.**, discussed what their respective pro bono programs are up to and the most cutting edge developments in in-house pro bono.  Topics of discussion included integrating pro bono and corporate social responsibility, developing longer term and more extensive projects, and global pro bono.

The webinar attracted a diverse audience, consisting of in-house counsel, law firm lawyers, and members of the public interest community.  Panelists answered participant questions regarding malpractice insurance, partnerships with law firms, and budgeting for pro bono.

The program recording is currently available online.  For instructions to access the webinar, please contact CPBO Project Assistant Sarah Neuman.  CLE credit is available for this program in many states.

Check back often for other online offerings from PBI and CPBO and join us for our next webinar program.

**denotes Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^SM

Interns’ Day Out

Last week The PBEye introduced you to our summer interns.  Today we thought we’d talk about one of the many exciting intern events they experienced so far this summer.  Last Wednesday, our interns and several staff members visited Holland & Knight LLP’s* DC office to meet with Steve Hanlon, a longtime friend of PBI.  Throughout his career, Hanlon has handled a number of civil rights cases, having received countless awards for his work.  When the PBI contingency met with Hanlon, he recounted two of his most memorable cases and offered advice to the aspiring lawyers in the audience. 

Steve Hanlon, Pro Bono Partner

The first case Hanlon discussed was Rosewood Victims v. State of Florida.  Tragedy struck predominantly African American Rosewood in 1923 when whites from neighboring towns burned Rosewood to the ground, leaving six African Americans dead.  Rosewood was effectively wiped off the map and the chilling event erased from Florida’s history, but, in 1991, survivors sought justice by filing a claims bill against the state.  Hanlon represented the survivors for three years, and his work— bolstered by the compelling testimony of the witnesses—resulted in more than $2 million in compensation.

Hanlon then described his recent involvement in Havasupai Indians v. Arizona State University, in which the Havasupai tribe sued the researchers who had used the tribe’s DNA for research without consent.  The tribe agreed to provide blood samples for diabetes research, but the researchers used them for other purposes.  For Hanlon, restoring dignity to the tribe’s traditions was not only a professional success, but also personally rewarding.

The discussion was both informative and inspirational.  Particularly moving was Hanlon’s discussion of the long-term friendships he developed with clients in each case.  His work demonstrates the real power of pro bono—without a doubt, his pro bono work changed the lives of his clients and their descendents for generations to come. PBI interns are very grateful for this real-life example of one attorney’s commitment to pro bono, and, in particular, to have had the opportunity to meet with Hanlon and hear about his passion in person.

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

Hat tip to PBI Intern Mallory Kennedy for her help with this story

Meet PBI’s Summer Crew!

The Pro Bono Institute is pleased to welcome its second class of Sheehan Scholars.  Bob Sheehan, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP‘s* Pro Bono Partner, former Executive Partner (1994-2009), and Co-Chair of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project^® Advisory Committee, and his family provided PBI with the support to launch this new program last year, which has been named in his honor in recognition of his extraordinary pro bono leadership.  We are grateful to the Sheehan family for their support and to the scholars for spending their summers with us.

The 2011 Sheehan Scholars, an impressive group of rising 2Ls, who have been hard at work for several weeks now, are:

Jessica Brierly-Snowden
Jessica comes to us from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law where she is a rising 2L. Following a stint at the D.C. Public Defender Service, she has her heart set on becoming a public defender. A fierce advocate for respecting and protecting prisoners’ rights, Jessica has worked on a major class action civil rights lawsuit involving sexual abuse of female inmates by prison guards. As a volunteer for the Prison Creative Arts Project, she helped display the nation’s largest exhibition of prisoners’ art, helped conduct a theater workshop at a women’s prison, and worked with incarcerated youth to form a creative writing portfolio and facilitate a dance workshop. In her free time, Jessica does her part to increase access to justice for indigent members of her community by volunteering at Shalom Legal HELP Clinic and Benefits Clinic.

Megan Brown
Megan comes to us from George Washington University Law School where she is a rising 2L. She spent time studying art and art history in Florence Italy, where she caught the incurable travel bug that has fueled her interest in exploring a career in private international law. She is particularly interested in anti-money-laundering work and in combating bribery and corruption. Megan’s weekly live broadcasts as a radio show host during college, where much of the dialogue was ad-lib, were great practice for a career legal advocacy. In her free time, Megan blows off steam by rock-climbing.

Matthew Magner
Matt comes to us from Georgetown University Law Center where he is a rising 2L. After serving for a number of years as a math tutor and teaching assistant, he is currently exploring coursework in child advocacy and education law as he seeks to define his legal career path. Matt, who co-founded an improvisation troupe “On the Fly Improv” during college, suspects that his experience as a theatrical stage director, actor, and improviser will serve him well in the always-on-your-toes business of law.

 The Sheehan Scholars are joined this summer by a terrific group of undergraduate interns:

Mallory Kennedy
Mal comes to us from Davidson College in North Carolina where she is pursuing a B.A. in Political Science, International Studies. Last year Mallory studied art, film, and renaissance history abroad in Florence, Italy. Mallory’s interest in developmental politics and international human rights first began in high school, when she traveled to Honduran villages to translate for doctors with a medical brigade. Mallory serves as President of Davidson College’s chapter of Building Tomorrow, an organization dedicated to building schools in Uganda. Mallory is also involved in Global Zero, an organization that advocates for the elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Lauren Rabb
Lauren comes to us from the College of William & Mary where she is pursuing a B.A. degree with a double major in English and Psychology. Last year Lauren studied abroad in Cambridge, U.K., where some of her extended family resides. This summer, Lauren brings her talents to bear on PBI’s social media endeavors. At school she drives the campus safe-ride van known as Steer Clear and also leads a local Brownie troop. Her innate passion and aptitude for writing have fueled her interest in exploring a nonprofit career writing for a psychology journal.

Lucy Stephenson
Lucy comes to us all the way from Oz, where she is simultaneously pursuing a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of Melbourne. She spent spring semester studying abroad at Georgetown University, and is dedicating her talents this summer (winter break in Australia!) to PBI. A leading Australian law firm, Clayton Utz, has already snapped Lucy up, and she hopes to contribute to the firm’s litigation, energy and resources and government departments post-graduation. A keen outdoorswoman, Lucy has conquered the grueling three-week-long “Kosi-to-Coast” trek carrying 66 lbs. of gear and supplies; the journey involved snowshoeing, hiking, rafting, swimming, and camping. Her most recent feat was to hike the famed Overland Track, a six-day, 40-mile trek through the heart of the Tasmanian wilderness.  

 Our interns and Sheehan Scholars are working on a variety of projects – large and small – for Corporate Pro Bono, the Law Firm Pro Bono Project^®, Second Acts^®, the Global Pro Bono Project, and our communications department.  You’ve already seen the fruits of their labors and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.

PBI is grateful for their hard work and dedication, and we especially enjoy their energy and fresh perspectives.  It’s inspiring to have such talented people share their time with us. We are also appreciative of the firms and individuals, such as Steve Hanlon at Holland & Knight LLP* and Venable LLP*, who support our summer program by inviting our interns to events and donating time to provide additional professional development opportunities.

If you know of a student or lawyer who may be interested in spending time working at PBI, as a deferred associate, as part of a sabbatical or leave, or as a volunteer intern, please send an inquiry to jobs@probonoinst.org.

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

 Hat tip to PBI Intern Lauren Rabb for her help with this story

Pro Bono Weathers Rough Economy

As promised, PBI‘s Law Firm Pro Bono Project released its annual report of pro bono participation at large law firms today.  The Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^® report examines the 2010 pro bono activities of firms that have signed on to the Challenge.  In 2010, attorneys from 138 firms completed more than 4.45 million hours of pro bono service, the third highest year on record!

The executive summary notes:

• Overall Challenge Performance — Reporting firms completed a total of 4,451,009 hours of pro bono work, the third highest year in the history of the Challenge.

• Service to Persons of Limited Means — Challenge firms increased their service to persons of limited means this year, donating 2,840,382 hours or 64%, an increase of 3% over the previous year.

• Participation — Reduced headcounts at firms impacted the number of attorneys participating in pro bono, down slightly from 2009.

• Litigation/Non-Litigation Hours — Nearly 1.5 million hours were spent on litigation-related matters for the poor, while 595,415 hours were spent on non-litigation matters.

• Regional Analysis — Pro bono service is broken down by regions in the country, with firms in the Northeast (with the most firms – over 44 – reporting) having the highest percentage of pro bono hours, 4%.

Challenge Signatory firms Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP both had strong years for pro bono in 2010.  The PBEye was pleased to hear from the leadership at each firm. 

“The economic downturn has certainly impacted firms across the country, but times are even tougher for our pro bono clients,” said Steven H. Davis, chairman of Dewey & LeBoeuf. “Pro bono is a valuable resource to the attorneys at our firm. Since our lawyers are even busier, we must look for new and creative ways to identify meaningful, rewarding, and challenging pro bono matters that will, in turn, help our attorneys – from junior associates to seasoned partners – develop professionally.”

“We have increased our focus on pro bono, despite the changes and administrative challenges we’ve faced due to the recession,” Greg Nitzkowski, managing partner of Paul Hastings noted. “Our firm has worked hard to send the message to all of our attorneys that pro bono is a core value of this firm in good times and in bad.”

PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent weighed in on the report as well, “What we are seeing is that pro bono, while institutionalized in firms, is facing challenges due to decreased headcounts and heavier workloads.  This year is still the third highest ever, so while troubling, the bottom has not dropped out and we are cautiously optimistic that pro bono will continue to be a very high priority at firms.”

You can read the complete report here and the full press release here.  For more from Esther on what this report means for large law firms, check out the video below.

The Wire’s Got a New Look!

We’ve got a lot to celebrate here at The PBEye, as our sister publication, The Pro Bono Wire has a snazzy new look!  It’s still the same great content, but now with a more user-friendly, easily accessible design.  This month’s e-newsletter is chock full of goodies that you won’t want to miss, too. 

• The Letter From Esther focuses on what she calls “Structural Injustice” and the barriers in access to justice.  
• Interesting recaps of the Marketplace of Ideas from the Seminar/Forum and the recent In-House Counsel Pro Bono Forum have lots of tidbits you can use!
• Corporate Pro Bono‘s recent Benchmarking Survey is highlighted.
• And our friends at the Hewlett-Packard Company* share their experiences doing pro bono for veterans.

So . . . we hope you won’t think us rude for asking, but what do you think of The Pro Bono Wire’s facelift?  We’d love to hear what you think. 

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

June Happenings: PBI Webinar

The PBEye is always excited to learn something new, and any time we can do it from comfort of our desks is an added bonus.  Coming up on June 7 at 12:30 p.m. EDT is the webinar, “The Evolving Law Firm Business Model and Its Impact on Pro Bono,” which will examine the changes faced by large law firms and the effect they will have on pro bono. 

Large law firms are changing the way they do business, including major shifts in attorney headcount, recruitment, and compensation; new approaches to professional and skill development and advancement; and shifts in billing arrangements and relationships with corporate clients. More profound changes are likely to come. This timely webinar will review these and other developments and reflect on what the changing economic landscape may mean for pro bono supporters at law firms, legal departments, and public interest organizations. This webinar is the first in the Pro Bono Institute’s Best of the 2011 Seminar/Forum Series.

Speakers include our friends Jim Jones, senior vice president and chief legal officer, Hildebrandt Baker Robbins, chairman, The Hildebrandt Institute (whom we’ve spoken with before, here); and Ron Flagg, chair, Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Committee, Sidley Austin LLP*.

This is a program you won’t want to miss!  Registration is free to Law Firm Pro Bono Project Member Law Firms. Please contact David Lipscomb for the promotional code.  Click here to register.

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