In-House Best Practice Profiles and Sample Policies

The CPBO project has worked with legal departments and Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) chapters to launch and grow their pro bono programs. These programs are unique and designed to fit the needs and interests of each department and community. While each legal department and ACC chapter is different, there are successful practices that peer departments and ACC chapters can learn from and replicate. The profiles below provide examples of methods, tools, and policies to use in developing and expanding pro bono programs; pro bono opportunities in which in-house counsel and legal staff participate; and lessons learned.

Best Practice Profiles

Legal Departments by Size of Department

1-25 lawyers
Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack

26-50 lawyers 
Zurich North America
Mayo Clinic 
United Airlines (Global) 
The Clorox Company (Global) 

51-100 lawyers 
McDonald’s Corporation (Global) 
Duke Energy Corporation 
Entergy Corporation 
Starbucks Corporation (Global) 

101-200 lawyers 
Liberty Mutual Insurance 
Chubb North America (NA) (Global) 
Exelon Corporation 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) 
PNC Financial Services, Inc. (PNC) (Global)

201-500 lawyers 
AT&T (Global) 
Verizon Communications, Inc. (Global) 
American Express Company (Global) 
Merck & Co., Inc. (Global) 
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated 

>500 lawyers 
Wells Fargo (Global) 
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) (Global) 
Bank of America Corporation (Global) 
Microsoft Corporation (Global) 
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (Global)

Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Chapters 
Arizona 
Central Ohio 
Chicago 
Houston 
Minnesota 
Northeast 
San Francisco Bay Area 
Southern California 
St. Louis

Sample Pro Bono Policies

The CPBO team has compiled sample documents that provide in-house attorneys interested in pro bono access to the kinds of work being done in other legal departments and ACC chapters.  Each pro bono program is unique and reflects the interests and needs of the participating volunteers and the community. To determine your legal department or ACC chapter’s needs and to tailor these documents to them, please contact the CPBO team.

Pro Bono Policies

Sample policies:

In addition, the following sample documents are available upon request from the CPBO team:

  • Interest Survey
  • Engagement Letters
  • Workplan
  • Memorandum of Understanding
  • Intake Form
  • Closing Document