Author: dlipscomb

Traditionally, economic theory has treated people as wholly rational actors – when presented with a choice, we choose the utility-maximizing option, regardless of what the default or status quo might be. Recent social science research has shown that real people don’t always act so rationally; we are influenced by social pressures. One of the most powerful norms that drive behavior are default rules. As Cass Sunstein describes them, defaults are invisible “nudges.” They don’t force us to choose one way or another, but they can make us lean in a particular direction. The impact that defaults can have on individual decision-making

More than 50 firms have already become Law Firm Pro Bono Project Members for 2016-2017. These firms have publicly demonstrated their leadership and commitment to pro bono service, and we are grateful for their support. Submit your enrollment form before September 1 to receive a 10 percent discount. As a Member Firm, you have free access to the Law Firm Project’s Resource Clearinghouse, which is a one-stop destination for publications, best practices, model policies, and other materials related to law firm pro bono. Member Firms can also download items from the Members-only section of the Resource Clearinghouse. The growing catalog

PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project recently released its annual Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Report, which examines the pro bono activities of Challenge Signatories. We’ve previously written about attorney pro bono participation and pro bono time devoted to those of limited means. Another notable highlight from 2015 was the increase in charitable giving to legal services organizations. The average firm donation last year was $460,660, which represents a 27.2 percent increase over the average firm donation in 2014, which was $362,217. We applaud those firms and attorneys who not only gave their time but also contributed their dollars to local

PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project recently released its annual Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Report, which examines the pro bono activities Challenge Signatories. Last week, we shared our optimistic view of pro bono and focused on overall attorney participation. Another notable highlight from 2015 is the increase in the percentage of total pro bono time committed to those of limited means and the organizations serving them. The Challenge asks firms to devote “a majority” of their pro bono time “to persons of limited means or to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations in matters which are designed

PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project recently released its annual Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Report, which examines the pro bono activities of firms that are Signatories to the Challenge. Law firm pro bono in 2015 can be characterized by one word: optimism. One hundred twenty-nine Signatories to the Challenge collectively reported increases in total pro bono hours, pro bono hours for those of limited means, attorney participation rates, and charitable giving to legal services organizations. Among the many highlights from this year’s Report, the percentage of attorneys participating in pro bono increased to 74.6 percent in 2015 from to

Have you tuned in to the Pro Bono Happy Hour? It’s the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast that highlights exciting and meaningful developments in the world of law firm pro bono. Each week we interview insightful and entertaining expert guests from Law Firm Pro Bono Project Member Firms and Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Signatories, and offer a smart, fresh, creative take on pro bono. We recently spoke with Aileen Bleach of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan*† about the firm’s inspirational new pro bono video. She shares her “behind-the-scenes” perspective and discusses why the firm decided to make a video,

With the Tony Awards on Sunday night fast approaching, our initial answers are borrowed liberally from the lyrics of Rent: Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee? In inches? In miles? In laughter? In strife? In love? Yes, to all of the above. In part, we measure a law firm pro bono program’s year in hours, attorney participation rates, hours per attorney, pro bono time as a percentage of billable time, pro bono for those of limited means, and charitable giving to legal services organizations. How was 2015? Stay tuned.