KPMG LLP**’s Legal, Regulatory & Compliance Pro Bono & Community Impact Advisory Council’s (“PBCI”) vision is to enable a best-in-class team that aligns strategically with KPMG LLP’s business and culture goals in an environment that fosters engagement, empowerment, professional development, and innovation. The PBCI is committed to providing pro bono legal opportunities to KPMG LLP’s Legal, Regulatory and Compliance team (“KPMG”) to service individuals of limited means and charitable organizations. Additionally, the PBCI identifies, develops, and approve pro bono opportunities for professionals, promotes our pro bono commitment, and cultivates strategic relationships.
Damon Dennis, Assistant General Counsel in KPMG LLP’s Office of General and Chair of the PBCI, shares a recent experience co-hosting a legal assistance clinic supporting U.S. Veterans.
- Please tell us about this project.
KPMG recently participated in a pro bono legal clinic in collaboration with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (“NVLSP”) and one of KPMG’s outside counsel. The event focused on providing free legal assistance to veterans through NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors® program.
NVLSP, a nonprofit organization formed in 1981, works to ensure that disabled veterans and active-duty personnel receive the benefits they are entitled to. The organization provides individual attorney representation, class action lawsuits, training and mentoring of veterans’ advocates, and publication of training materials. The Lawyers Serving Warriors® program is NVLSP’s pro bono project that offers free legal assistance to veterans with various military disability issues through a network of volunteer attorneys.
During the clinic, volunteers, both attorneys and staff, were trained on the process of discharge upgrades to improve the lives of veterans. The upgrades involve changing the characterization of service and the narrative reason for separation. The training highlighted the importance of understanding the impacts of characterization of service on employment opportunities, reputation, self-esteem, and access to benefits.
The training session also covered legal standards for discharge upgrades, including procedural errors, inequities, and clemency requirements.
After the training, volunteers conducted virtual interviews in pairs. During these interviews, they gathered information from veterans who applied to NVLSW for a discharge upgrade. The primary goals were to understand the veteran’s objectives, address any gaps in official military records, and learn about the veteran’s life post-discharge. The clinic concluded with the volunteers submitting a memorandum to NVLSW that summarized the interview.
- What has been the role of KPMG in this project?
KPMG professionals played a crucial role in this pro bono project by providing free legal assistance to veterans through NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors® program. Volunteers from KPMG were trained on the process of discharge upgrades, which involves changing the characterization of service and the narrative reason for separation to improve the lives of veterans. KPMG professionals, together with one of KPMG’s outside counsel, conducted interviews with the veterans, reviewed records, and prepared memorandums for NVLSP’s evaluation.
- What organization(s) did the legal department collaborate with for this project? Why are the collaborations with them so important?
KPMG partnered with NVLSP and one of our outside counsel for this project. This collaboration was essential as KPMG has a longstanding commitment to supporting veterans through various initiatives, and this pro bono clinic is a key component of that commitment. These opportunities have a significant impact, aiding veterans in achieving better futures and gaining recognition. By working with NVLSP, KPMG leverages NVLSP’s extensive expertise in veterans’ benefits and legal representation, ensuring that veterans receive exceptional legal assistance and support.
KPMG’s core values – Integrity, Excellence, Courage, Together, and For Better – guide our actions, decisions, and interactions with clients and colleagues. A part of our core values includes a tradition of community support, involvement, and impact.
- What is the impact of this pro bono work?
This pro bono work could greatly improve the lives of veterans by assisting them in upgrading their discharge status and accessing vital benefits. Enhanced characterizations of service and updated reasons for separation have positively impacted veterans’ employment opportunities, reputations, self-esteem, and access to benefits. Although this event was part of the initial stages of evaluating veterans’ cases, successful outcomes lead to honorable discharges and eligibility for Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation.
- What would you say is the most challenging part of this type of work?
As an audit firm, KPMG must be mindful to avoid activities that could lead to conflicts of interest while seeking the right opportunities for community support. Collaborations with nonprofit organizations have proven invaluable in overcoming these obstacles. Another challenge is engaging our professionals in pro bono work, especially when they may face time constraints. We address this by encouraging participation with the support of KPMG’s leadership. We contribute to these efforts by allowing pro bono opportunities during business hours.
- Is there any advice that you would give to other Legal, Regulatory and Compliance departments who want to become more focused in their pro bono work?
In my experience, legal, regulatory and compliance departments should choose pro bono opportunities that align with their core values and then collaborate with organizations that have expertise in that area. Partnering with organizations like NVLSP can provide valuable training and support for volunteers. Providing ongoing support during pro bono opportunities can help achieve successful outcomes for the benefiting party as well as the volunteer.
If your legal, regulatory and compliance department includes a significant number of non-legal professionals, it is also beneficial to seek pro bono opportunities available for non-lawyers, as many legal and compliance departments include professionals who are not licensed attorneys. This approach allows all members of your department to contribute, leveraging their unique skills and perspectives to support the pro bono initiative comprehensively.
Finally, I suggest organizing events that foster real-time collaboration between your team and the partner organization. This ensures that the pro bono opportunity is engaging. This can certainly go a long way to enhance participation and commitment among team members.
| Each year, the signatories to the PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® and Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® initiatives provide important pro bono services to underserved, disadvantaged, and other individuals or groups unable to secure the legal assistance needed to address critical problems. The PBI Signatory Showcase spotlights some of the amazing work signatories have done to serve those in need.VIEW THE SIGNATORY SHOWCASE |
* denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® signatory
** denotes a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® signatory
† denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Project® member