Creating Sustainable and Impactful Partnerships in Pro Bono

By Jennifer Pei, PBI Intern

In honor of the 30^th Anniversary of Pro Bono Institute (PBI) and the 20^th Anniversary of the Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Challenge^® Initiative, the PBEye blog reflected on long-standing in-house pro bono projects and partnerships throughout our history. The longevity of these partnerships demonstrates how sustainable approaches and best practices can significantly extend the impact of pro bono work. Through consultation, resources, Annual Conference programming, and annual awards, PBI advances the development of sustainable pro bono projects and celebrates their long-term success.

The CPBO Partner Award

Every year, the PBI and its CPBO project honor partnerships in pro bono between corporate in-house legal departments and law firms or legal aid organizations at the PBI Annual Dinner.  Partner Awardees positively impact their community by addressing critical needs and offering successful legal services. This accolade recognizes the innovation of the partnership, as well as its sustainability and in-house engagement. Through strategic frameworks and adaptability, many of these partnerships are still changing lives today.

The Brian Coyle legal clinic is the longest running Partner Awardee partnership, winning the award in 2005. Beginning in 1999 and still operating to this day, the U.S. Bank^** legal department serves the Somali community in Minnesota with partners Dorsey & Whitney^*†, Central Minnesota Legal Services, and Volunteer Lawyers Network for almost 30 years.

Some partnerships have stood the test of time by continuing to adjust and find ways to address legal needs. For example, the 2008 Partner Awardees — the Williams Companies^**, Hall Estill, and Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma — have nurtured a partnership of 20 years now. The partnership was recognized for representing low-income and elderly Oklahomans with civil legal problems, such as end-of-life planning and guardian ad litem services. In the past two decades, these partners continue to work together to assist individuals with end-of-life planning and guardianship. They also expanded their matters to include bankruptcy and defense of garnishment actions.

The 2020 Partner Awardee, the Charlotte Triage program, is another sustainable initiative involving in-house legal departments from Bank of America^**, Duke Energy^**, Husqvarna Group, and Wells Fargo working alongside McGuireWoods^*†, Moore & Van Allen^†, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and Legal Aid of North Carolina. Since 2018, Charlotte Triage has assisted disadvantaged communities in Charlotte in a wide range of legal matters, adding new areas of practice as the community’s legal needs evolve. At the time of receiving the Award, the partnership had begun expanding beyond its original three areas: housing eviction defense, criminal conviction expunctions, and healthcare enrollment. Today, the program also includes advocacy for survivors of domestic violence, representing minors in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status proceedings, healthcare enrollment, driver’s license restoration, and consumer advocacy. The collaboration has also grown to include approximately three dozen law firms and legal departments across the Charlotte metro area.

Resources for Sustainable Partnerships

Lasting and impactful partnerships, such as the Partner Awardees, are those that are strategically thought out since their inception. PBI offers several resources to help pro bono leaders navigate building effective, sustainable partnerships. Guides, such as Pro Bono Collaborations and Partnerships: When Law Firms and Legal Departments Serve Together and its complementary infographic, are informative starting points for partners who are looking to work together. The PBI guide offers considerations across all facets of a partnership, including expectations, logistics, and project selections.

Additionally, PBI hosts various webinars and informational sessions detailing winning strategies and models for collaborations. The PBI 2026 Annual Conference explored where and how to begin a pro bono partnership for in-house legal departments. One session, Access Amplified: A Collaborative Pro Bono Model Across Markets, provided in-house counsel with a model for projects that are not only effective but adaptable to change as well. Panelists emphasized both client needs and the capacity of partners to ensure a realistic and successful initiative.

By learning from the Partner Awardees, resources, and discussions on partnerships at PBI programs like the Annual Conference, pro bono programs can collaborate in ways that endure and evolve over time. For more tailored advice, PBI staff offers consultative services to law firms, legal departments, and public interest organizations. As PBI celebrates milestone anniversaries, long-term pro bono projects serve as a powerful reminder of how sustainable partnerships can expand access to justice and strengthen communities for many years to come.

* denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^® signatory
** denotes a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^® signatory
† denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Project^® member