Reporting season for the 2014 calendar year is now open. We have emailed unique survey links to all Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Signatories, so be sure to check your spam filter if you did not receive the email. The deadline for reporting is February 27.
This year, we have issued a more streamlined survey with fewer questions; we are only requiring that Signatories provide information about their pro bono hours, pro bono hours provided to those of limited means, and attorney participation. We have also prepared a new, user-friendly, comprehensive FAQ to make responding easy and efficient.
Since 1993, the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®, an initiative of PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project, has served as a guidepost to assist major law firms in increasing their commitment to pro bono legal services. The Challenge principles are designed to offer institutional support and maximize the efficacy of law firm pro bono programs. The Challenge definition of pro bono has become an industry standard, utilized not only by major law firms but by the legal media in reporting the pro bono contributions of large law firms.
One hallmark of the Challenge is the inclusion of an accountability mechanism: an annual reporting requirement. Each year, Challenge Signatories must provide a confidential report to the Law Firm Pro Bono Project on their progress in meeting the Challenge. The individual law firm data is kept confidential, but each report provides the basis for critically important aggregate statistics about trends in law firm pro bono. Please assist us in communicating the good news about the pro bono work of law firms to our colleagues in the legal profession and to the public with your prompt submission of the electronic reporting form. We also urge you to let us know about your firm’s accomplishments and news.
Interested in joining your peer firms and becoming a Challenge Signatory? Firms with 50 or more lawyers are welcome to join the Challenge at any time of the year, and enjoy a grace period before the reporting requirement kicks in. Now is the perfect time for firms to join our efforts to improve access to justice, as 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Challenge. Please contact Law Firm Pro Bono Project Assistant Eva Richardson for assistance with reporting or for more information on becoming a leader in law firm pro bono.