Access to justice remains a significant challenge, including for pro bono and public interest legal teams, which are under-resourced when faced with overwhelming need. The Pro Bono Institute (PBI) ExpertConnect Pro Bono Hub seeks to meet this challenge by connecting these legal teams with expert services that would otherwise be out of reach. This new pilot program empowers pro bono and public interest legal professionals with high-quality, specialized support, enhancing their work on behalf of low-income and marginalized clients.
Inspired by the National Pro Bono Centre’s Pro Bono Expert Support Scheme, the ExpertConnect Hub will facilitate collaboration among pro bono and public interest professionals with a wide range of expert support, including e-discovery, forensic accounting, case management, translation, and more. By providing this resource, PBI is working to ensure that legal teams have access to free expert services for their pro bono clients, while maintaining the high standards these experts would offer paying clients.
Leading Expert Providers Join the ExpertConnect Hub
PBI is excited to launch this pilot program with the support of some of the industry’s most respected names, who are already committing their expertise to advance access to justice. Here’s a closer look at how these companies are making an impact:
- Charles River Associates (CRA): CRA is a global consulting firm that offers economic, financial, and strategy expertise to give clients clear, implementable solutions to complex business problems. In its pro bono work, CRA empowers its colleagues at all levels to contribute their professional skills to help nonprofits navigate critical issues and drive meaningful change. In recent years, CRA consultants have spent thousands of hours on matters ranging from researching social determinants of health for those disproportionately affected by Lupus, to supporting a study focused on consumers managing credit card debt during the pandemic, assisting with grant writing to secure state-backed funding for the homeless, investigating embezzlement from a nonprofit, and providing litigation support to domestic violence survivors. Their involvement in the ExpertConnect Hub will continue to help underserved clients by providing in-depth analysis and solutions in challenging cases.
- Relativity: Relativity is a trusted leader in e-discovery technology, helping organizations efficiently organize data, discover truth, and act on it across a range of legal matters—from data breaches to complex environmental and human rights cases. As part of their ongoing commitment to justice, Relativity’s Justice for Change program has been transformative in addressing social and racial justice efforts, including working with a coalition of civil rights organizations to uncover the discriminatory impact of a local jurisdiction’s “Gang Database” and analyzing complex documents to challenge misleading environmental claims made by a major oil and gas company. Their involvement in the ExpertConnect Hub will provide pro bono legal teams with access to powerful e-discovery tools and other services, enabling them to process large volumes of case data, uncover vital evidence, and ensure no critical information is overlooked.
- StoneTurn: StoneTurn, a global professional services firm, works with law firms, corporations, and government agencies in solving complex and consequential business issues. Known for their deep expertise in investigations, compliance, economics, technology, cybersecurity, and business and litigation advisory, they have earned the trust of clients and regulators worldwide by deploying multidisciplinary teams of industry leaders to provide unique expertise and practical solutions to high-stakes challenges. StoneTurn has played a critical role in helping survivors of domestic violence by ensuring financial transparency in divorce cases. Their involvement in the ExpertConnect Hub will provide specialized financial analysis, forensic accounting, e-discovery and litigation support, and other assistance, equipping legal teams with the tools and expertise necessary to uncover critical evidence and build stronger, more compelling cases for their clients.
Expanding Services for Comprehensive Support
As the ExpertConnect Hub rolls out, we are actively seeking additional expert services providers to build a robust suite of services that will empower pro bono and public interest legal teams with the high-quality support they need for effective representation. This pilot program offers access to a diverse range of expert services, including:
- eDiscovery & Case Management: Assisting in the management and analysis of digital evidence, ensuring that critical information is thoroughly examined and nothing important is overlooked.
- Forensic Accounting: Providing expertise in financial analysis, valuation, and damage assessments, uncovering financial discrepancies and delivering crucial insights to strengthen legal teams’ cases.
- Interpretation & Translation Services: Offering professional interpretation and translation to bridge communication gaps for clients with limited English proficiency, ensuring full engagement in legal proceedings.
- Expert Witness Testimony: Delivering experienced professionals who provide credible expert testimony, helping clarify complex technical or specialized information to support legal arguments.
By joining the ExpertConnect Hub, expert services providers make a dual commitment — offering their expertise pro bono while also helping sustain the initiative through financial sponsorship. Benefits to expert services providers include recognition in the ExpertConnect Hub’s promotional materials, the opportunity to present educational programming that highlights the need for expert services in pro bono matters, and invitations to select PBI events. This collaboration ensures that pro bono legal teams have the high-quality resources needed to deliver justice to underserved communities.
Lend Your Expertise: Join the Movement for Access to Justice
Is your expert services company looking to make a meaningful impact advancing access to justice? The ExpertConnect Hub is an opportunity for you to contribute your skills and expertise to pro bono and public interest legal teams working on behalf of underserved clients. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Join the ExpertConnect Hub: Signing up is simple! Review and complete the brief Expert Services Provider: Registration & Sponsorship Selection Form and select the desired sponsorship level to join. Sponsorship allows PBI to ensure participating providers and requests for pro bono assistance are appropriately vetted.
- Provide Your Expertise: Once your company is approved, PBI will connect you with requests from pro bono and public interest legal teams, and you can choose projects that resonate most with your team. There is no obligation, just an opportunity to lend expertise where it is most needed.
- Make a Meaningful Difference: Your organization’s time and expertise will help close the justice gap by providing pro bono and public interest legal teams with the resources they need to deliver quality representation to underserved clients.
The ExpertConnect Hub seeks to ensure high-quality legal support for low-income and marginalized communities, and your contribution can make all the difference. Join today and help provide the expert services that empower legal teams to deliver justice to those who need it most.
For more information or to get involved, visit the PBI ExpertConnect Pro Bono Hub website or contact PBI staff with questions.