PBI’s 2017 Annual Dinner is Tonight

PBI is excited to host our Annual Dinner at Gotham Hall in New York City tonight! This year’s theme“Strengthening Access to Justice” features speakers sure to inspire all who attend. Attendees will hear remarks from special guest Charles Johnson, who was wrongfully convicted of a double murder in Chicago, and served 20 years of a life sentence. With pro bono assistance from 2017 John H. Pickering Award recipient Kirkland & Ellis*† and the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Johnson’s conviction was vacated in July 2016. Later that year, he was released from prison. Another highlight of tonight’s event will be a musical performance by another Kirkland pro bono client Diverse Concert Artists, a group “committed to diversity in classical and crossover music.”

We are also proud to present the 2017 CPBO Partner Award: Large Law to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated** in partnership with the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and the 2017 CPBO Partner Award: Small Law to Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Corporation in partnership with Meyer, Unkovic & Scott for their commitment to pro bono.

In addition to our inspiring speakers, we thank our co-chairs, Laureen E. Seeger, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of American Express Company, Tony West, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of PepsiCo, Inc.**, and David Zapolsky, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Amazon.com, Inc. **

Be sure to follow the festivities tonight by checking out posts tagged with #PBIDinner2017 and #ProBonoProud and by following us @ProBonoInst on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube where we will be posting videos of tonight’s events.

*  denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^® signatory

†  denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Project^® member

** denotes a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^® signatory

And the Winner Is…

CPBO will present the 2017 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Awards, recognizing innovative team approaches to pro bono work involving in-house legal departments, at PBI’s Annual Dinner, on September 28. The PBEye is proud to congratulate the recipients:

• CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Small Law: Alcoa Corporation and Arconic Inc. in partnership with Meyer, Unkovic & Scott for their work on the Landlord Tenant Project; and
• CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Large Law: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated** and Connecticut Veterans Legal Center on their project, “Review-A-Rama.”

Pro Bono Partner Award – Small Law

The Landlord Tenant Project (Project) assists low-income individuals facing landlord-tenant and other housing legal issues. These issues are of paramount importance in focusing on a basic need of all people: safe and affordable housing. Through the Project, volunteers represent families and individuals at housing denial hearings, and staff a hotline which provides advice and, when appropriate, brief services.

Pro Bono Partner Award – Large Law

Review-A-Rama engages members of the UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UHG) Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Department (LCRA) to review massive files of medical and military documents and provide detailed summaries to Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC) attorneys who represent veterans in disability benefit claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As a result of Review-A-Rama and UHG’s efforts, CVLC is able to offer full-scope representation to more veterans in need.

The PBEye congratulates the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award recipients on their continued dedication to increasing access to justice, and looks forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the PBI Annual Dinner! If you are interested in supporting the Annual Dinner, please contact Kelly Simon (202.729.6691) for more information. We hope to see you there!

Meet the 2016 PBI Annual Dinner Co-Chairs

Join the 2016 Pro Bono Institute Annual Dinner Co-Chairs for one of the legal profession’s most celebrated events of the year. The 2016 PBI Annual Dinner, Celebrate Achievements in Pro Bono, will take place on Thursday, November 3, at New York’s historic Gotham Hall.

We are honored to announce this year’s Annual Dinner Co-Chairs:

Michael Fricklas Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary	Brad Smith President and Chief Legal Officer	Laura Stein Executive Vice President – General Counsel and Corporate Affairs
Meet the Dinner Co-Chairs

Save the Date – 2016 PBI Annual Dinner

Submit Nominations for the 2016 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award

CPBO is now accepting nominations for the 2016 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award. The award recognizes innovative team approaches to pro bono work involving in-house legal departments, law firms, and public interest groups. Nominated partnerships must include at least one legal department and one or more law firms and/or public interest group partners. CPBO may present two awards: (1) to a partnership that includes a legal department of 50 or more lawyers; and (2) to a partnership that includes a legal department of 49 or less lawyers.

The award will be presented at the Pro Bono Institute Annual Dinner in New York City on November 3, 2016.

The 2015 recipients were:

• CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Large Law: BNY Mellon**, White & Case*†, and the National LGBT Bar Association; and
• CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Small Law: Best Buy Co., Inc. ** and Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN).

A full list of previous awardees can be found here. To nominate a pro bono partnership, please complete a nomination form and submit a letter of nomination no later than May 20, 2016.

Award criteria and the nomination form are available here. For more information about the award, please contact CPBO Director Eve Runyon.

* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^®
† denotes a Member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project
**denotes a the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^® signatory

PBI’s 2015 Annual Dinner Recap

PBI hosted its 2015 Annual Dinner, themed “Celebrating the Future of Pro Bono,” last night, at Gotham Hall in New York City. Special thanks to our co-chairs Ivan Fong, Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs and General Counsel, 3M Company**; Brett Hart, Acting Chief Executive Officer, United Continental Holdings, Inc.**; and Greg Jordan, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. ** Click here for more information about the co-chairs.

This year’s theme was fitting as we acknowledged all that we have accomplished in the 20 years since launching the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^® while we prepare for the challenges ahead. We also paid a special tribute to PBI’s founder Esther F. Lardent who stepped down as president earlier this year.

As in past years, PBI presented its annual honors – the John H. Pickering and CPBO Pro Bono Partner Awards. PBI presented the 2015 John H. Pickering Award to Sidley Austin*† for continually demonstrating its core values by working on behalf of pro bono clients around the world to enhance their quality of life and improve their communities.

This year, for the first time, PBI presented two CPBO partner awards. CPBO introduced separate categories for Large Law (a legal department of 50 or more lawyers) and Small Law (a legal department of 49 or fewer lawyers) to better recognize exceptional partnerships involving legal departments of all sizes. The 2015 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Large Law was presented to BNY Mellon**, White & Case*† and The National LGBT Bar Association for their exceptional work on an innovative tool that leverages technology to provide an online tax resource for same-sex married couples. The 2015 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Small Law was presented to Best Buy** and Volunteer Lawyers Network for their ongoing partnership and commitment to providing legal services to low-income persons. Click here to read more about our awardees.

Immediately preceding the Annual Dinner, PBI hosted its ninth annual Leadership Convocation at the offices of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel*†. Attendees listened as the panelists, Greg Jordan; Kim Koopersmith, Chairperson, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld*†; John M. Koneck, President, Fredrikson & Byron*†; Laura Stein, Executive Vice President – General Counsel, The Clorox Company**; and Regina M. Pisa, Chairman Emeritus, Goodwin Procter*†, discussed the shifts in the economics and dynamics of major law firms and in-house legal departments that inevitably impact pro bono.

If you were unable to join us, you can still support the mission and work and pay tribute to Esther. Visit probonoinst.org/dinner for more information or contact Kelly Simon at 202-729-6691 or at ksimon@probonoinst.org.

Download the 2015 Annual Dinner Program here.

* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^®
† denotes a Member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project
**denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^®

Ask a General Counsel/Ask a Firm Chair

PBI’s ninth annual Leadership Convocation will take place at the offices of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel*† in New York on Thursday, November 5, preceding the 2015 Pro Bono Institute Annual Dinner.

Speakers scheduled to appear include Brett J. Hart, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, United Continental Holdings, Inc.**; Gregory B. Jordan, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.**; John M. Koneck, President, Fredrikson & Byron*†; and Regina M. Pisa, Chairman Emeritus, Goodwin Procter*†.

As we “celebrate the future of pro bono,” our distinguished panelists will discuss the shifts in the economics and dynamics of major law firms and in-house legal departments that inevitably impact pro bono. This thought-provoking conversation with senior law firm and legal department leaders will provide important insight about the forces and trends that will shape the future of pro bono.

Attendance is limited to law firms and legal departments that are sponsoring the 2015 PBI Annual Dinner. For more information about sponsorship opportunities and event registration and details, please contact the PBI Events office at 202.973.8720 or pbievents@courtesyassoc.com.

Special thanks to Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel for generously hosting PBI’s Leadership Convocation.

* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^®
† denotes a Member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project
**denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^®

Meet the 2015 PBI Annual Dinner Co-Chairs

The 2015 PBI Annual Dinner, to be held November 5 at Gotham Hall in New York City, is quickly approaching and we at the The PBEye hope to see you there! This year’s annual dinner, “Celebrate the Future of Pro Bono,” acknowledges all we have accomplished in the 20 years since launching the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^® while we prepare for  the challenges ahead. Once again, PBI is honored to have three co-chairs.

	Ivan Fong Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs and General Counsel 3M Company
	Brett Hart Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary United Continental Holdings, Inc.
	Greg Jordan Executive Vice President and General Counsel The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Read more about the 2015 Annual Dinner Co-Chairs here. To support the Annual Dinner, please download the Sponorship Packet, or contact Kelly Simon (202.729.6691) for more information.

Meet the 2014 PBI Annual Dinner Co-Chairs

We at The PBEye are excited about November as we march closer to the 2014 PBI Annual Dinner which will be held on November 6 in New York. Themed “Celebrating the Promise of Pro Bono,” this year’s Annual Dinner will will recognize the evolution and success of pro bono and its power to improve access to justice for those most in need. Once again, PBI is honored to have three distinguished Dinner Co-Chairs.

Eric J. Friedman Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Eric J. Friedman has served as Skadden’s Executive Partner since 2009. Under his leadership, for three consecutive years Skadden has been the only firm to be named as one of the nation’s two most innovative law firms in Financial Times’ “U.S. Innovative Lawyers” report (2010-2012). Read more…

Robert C. Sheehan Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Robert C. Sheehan, who oversees the firm’s pro bono program, was Executive Partner of Skadden, Arps from April 1994 to April 2009. Mr. Sheehan began his career with Skadden in 1969, became a partner in 1978 and of counsel in 2010. Read more…

Randal S. Milch Verizon Communications Inc. Randal S. Milch is executive vice president, Public Policy, and general counsel of Verizon. He leads the company’s public policy, legal, regulatory, government affairs and security groups. Read more…

Visit the Annual Dinner Co-Chairs page to learn more. Also, visit the 2014 Annual Dinner page to get more information including  how to be come a sponsor of the Dinner.

We sincerely thank our Co-Chairs for showing their support of PBI’s work and its mission to increase access to justice for everyone.

Reminder: CPBO Partner Award Nominations

The PBEye reminds you that time is running out to submit your nomination for the 2014 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award. To nominate a partnership, please complete a nomination form and submit a letter of nomination no later than May 9, 2014.

The award, which will be presented at the 2014 PBI Annual Dinner, recognizes innovative team approaches to pro bono work involving in-house legal departments, law firms, and public interest groups. Recipients of the award must include at least one legal department and one or more law firms and/or public interest group partners.

Last year’s award was presented to the Hewlett-Packard Company**, in partnership with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius*†, and National Veterans Legal Services Program. Their innovative partnership served the legal needs of veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. A full list of previous awardees can be found here.

For more information about the award, please contact CPBO Director Eve Runyon at (202) 729-6699.

* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^®
† denotes a Member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project
**denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^®