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PBI hosted its 2026 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., bringing together almost 300 pro bono leaders from law firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations. The Conference featured two bonus virtual programs in February with in-person programming and networking at the Pre-Conference and Conference. Attendees convened to explore innovative, strategic approaches to expanding the impact and reach of pro bono legal services.
At the Conference Awards Reception, PBI honored exceptional leadership and pro bono service by presenting the 2026 Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award to Wells Fargo and Ellen Patterson, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and the 2026 President’s Award to Susan Hackett, CEO (retired), Legal Executive Leadership, LLC.
Eve Runyon, PBI President & CEO, discussed “Why Pro Bono Must Keep Evolving” as a Conference welcome on the PBEye Blog and shared initial takeaways in “Still Reflecting: Lessons from PBI’s 2026 Annual Conference.”
ON-DEMAND PROGRAMS — Select sessions from the PBI 2026 Annual Conference were recorded and will be made available on demand through Practising Law Institute (PLI). PBI will share access with Conference attendees soon.
View photos from the PBI 2026 Annual Conference here.
Upcoming Programming:
Please contact the Law Firm Pro Bono Project initiative to register.
April 21, 2026
Litigating Cases on Behalf of Domestic Violence Survivors: Perspectives from Pro Bono Partners
This webinar explores one of the more sensitive dimensions of representing survivors of domestic violence in international child abduction cases. It offers an in-depth look at Hague Convention litigation from the perspective of a domestic violence survivor — what it means to represent someone in these circumstances and why access to skilled legal counsel can be truly life-changing. The session will also feature a candid conversation with an experienced pro bono attorney who has handled multiple Hague cases on behalf of survivors. She will share how she built her team, managed her time across matters, the litigation lessons she carries forward — and why she continues to answer the call to represent survivors in these cases.
Questions about becoming a Law Firm Member? Learn more here or contact Law Firm Pro Bono Project staff.
PBI’s Corporate Pro Bono Community is a virtual space for in-house pro bono leaders to meet one another, share best practices and opportunities, and ask questions of peers. On bimonthly Community Calls, in-house pro bono professionals gather for candid conversation on a high-interest topic. The next call is scheduled on April 10 from 12:00-1:00 PM (ET).
Contact CPBO staff to join the Community and attend the next call!
The Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® and Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® surveys are essential tools for tracking pro bono trends and showcasing the collective impact of pro bono work. Challenge Signatory participation helps us tell the full story of pro bono!
Thank you to everyone who submitted responses by the deadline. If you have questions about the Challenge surveys or updates to submitted survey data, please contact PBI Project Coordinator, Genevieve Timm at gtimm@probonoinst.org or 202.729.6698.
NOTE: All responses to PBI Challenge surveys are confidential; PBI only publishes information in the aggregate.
The 4th Annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day took place on November 13, bringing together energy and utility companies across the U.S. and abroad for an industry-wide day of pro bono service. Led by Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), the global in-house project of PBI, EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day highlights the collective impact of the energy and utility industries in expanding access to justice. This year, 13 energy and utility companies participated in more than 20 events for EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day 2025. Stay tuned for a full recap on the impact of this industry day of pro bono service.
Thank you to our volunteers for their participation and for expanding access to justice in their communities!
Protecting Food Security for D.C. Families
In late 2023, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP* partnered with Legal Aid DC to protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for tens of thousands of low-income District residents. This effort underscores the strength of coordinated advocacy, deep community engagement, and rapid legal action that can drive meaningful systemic impact for those in need. READ THE SIGNATORY SHOWCASE
Repairing Lives, Restoring Credit: How PBI Helped Launch a National Virtual Credit Repair Clinic for Trafficking Survivors
At the PBI 2025 Annual Conference, one session shared how the National Survivor Law Collective (NSL Collective) had begun offering virtual clinics to help survivors of human trafficking with credit repair under the Debt Bondage Repair Act (DBRA), which went into effect in July 2022, and the related Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Regulation V. The need for services by survivors, and the level of volunteer interest, outpaced the current capacity of the existing pro bono clinics. This led to PBI partnering with Moore & Van Allen†, Rutan & Tucker†, Alliance to Lead Impact in Global Human Trafficking (ALIGHT), Atlas Free, and the NSL Collective to develop and pilot a national series of Virtual Credit Repair Clinics. READ MORE ON THE PBEYE BLOG.
Guest Blog: Bridging the Justice Gap — Virginia’s Proposed Expansion of Assistance with Court Forms
PBI’s latest guest blog explores Virginia’s proposal to expand who can assist with court forms — empowering non-lawyer professionals like clerks and courthouse navigators to help more people access justice. Authored by David Greenspan, Pro Bono Partner at McGuireWoods*†, and Paige Osgood, 2025 Pro Bono Summer Associate at McGuireWoods, the piece highlights how this reform could make legal help more inclusive for Virginians who can’t afford an attorney. READ MORE ON THE PBEYE BLOG.
Setback for Justice Advocates in Upsolve Litigation
New technologies and innovative models for delivery of legal services can maximize access to justice. However, these developments sometimes test the boundaries of unauthorized practice of law (UPL) regulations. This blog post discusses a recent setback for the nonprofit organization Upsolve, Inc. and its use of trained volunteer Justice Advocates to assist pro se New Yorkers facing debt-collection actions. READ MORE ON THE PBEYE BLOG.
Legal Services and Public Interest Organizations:
Strengthen Your Pro Bono Work with the PBI ExpertConnect Pro Bono Hub
The ExpertConnect Hub connects legal services and public interest organizations with expert services providers offering pro bono support across a wide range of areas, from litigation-focused expertise to organizational and operational support, all at no cost.
In our new blog post, “Connecting Expertise to Impact: Expert Support for Legal Services Organizations,” we highlight:
Read more on the PBEye Blog and submit your ExpertConnect Hub request today!
The Scam Justice Legal Clinic: Offering Aid and Support
In May 2025, PBI, Amazon**, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP*†, and the Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust launched the Scam Justice Legal Clinic (SJLC) . The SJLC is a first-of-its-kind clinic providing scam survivors with free legal advice and education, addressing a challenge that has left many without the resources they need to seek justice and rebuild their lives. READ MORE HERE
* denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® signatory
** denotes a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® signatory
† denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Project® member
