Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a project of Pro Bono Institute, created the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award to recognize innovative pro bono collaborations of in-house legal departments with law firms and public interest organizations. Pro bono partnerships that include at least one in-house legal department with one or more law firms and/or public interest organizations are eligible. A subcommittee of the CPBO Advisory Board, with assistance from CPBO’s staff, selects the award recipients.

In 2015, CPBO introduced separate categories for Large Law (a legal department of 50 or more lawyers) and Small Law (a legal department of 49 or fewer lawyers) to better recognize exceptional partnerships involving legal departments of all sizes.

PBI presents the CPBO Partner Award annually at its Annual Dinner, widely publicizing the award recipients’ exemplary projects.

Criteria for the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award
Nomination Form

Previous CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award Recipients

2022
Dominion Energy in partnership with McGuireWoods and VCU Health
Chubb North America Legal and Compliance (“Chubb”) in partnership with Philadelphia VIP

2021
Pfizer Inc. in partnership with DLA Piper

McDonald’s Corporation in partnership with Goldberg Kohn, Jenner & Block LLP, and National Immigrant Justice Center

2020
Bank of America, Duke Energy, Husqvarna Group, and Wells Fargo in partnership with McGuireWoods, Moore & Van Allen, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and Legal Aid of North Carolina

2019
LARGE LAW – ExxonMobil in partnership with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
SMALL LAW – Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, in partnership with Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and Teamsters Local 1150

2018
LARGE LAW – MassMutual’s Law Department in partnership with the Hampden County Bar Association Legal Clinic
SMALL LAW – United Airlines’ Legal Department in partnership with Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Cabrini Green Legal Aid

2017
LARGE LAW – UnitedHealth Group Incorporated in partnership with Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
SMALL LAW – Alcoa Corporation and Arconic, Inc. in partnership with Meyer, Unkovic & Scott

2016
Entergy Corporation, the Louisiana Civil Justice Center, and the Orleans Parish Civil District Court

2015
LARGE LAW – BNY Mellon in partnership with White & Case, and The National LGBT Bar Association
SMALL LAW – Best Buy in partnership with Volunteer Lawyers Network

2014
American International Group, Inc.’s Global Legal, Compliance, Regulatory, and Government Affairs department, and the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project

2013
Hewlett-Packard Company, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (Morgan Lewis), and the National Veterans Legal Services Program

2012
Ford Motor Company Office of the General Counsel, in partnership with Dykema Gossett PLLC, Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc., and Michigan Community Resources

2011
Verizon Communications Inc. in partnership with DLA Piper LLP

2010
Accenture plc, Caterpillar Inc., and Merck & Co., Inc. in partnership with Baker & McKenzie and PILnet (formerly the Public Interest Law Institute)

2009
Aetna Inc., with Lawyers for Children America and Bet Tzedek Legal Services in cooperation with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

2008
The Williams Companies, Inc. in partnership with Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C., and Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.

2007
3M with Children’s Law Center of Minnesota

2006
Microsoft Corporation and Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice with collaborating law firms Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Heller Erhman LLP, Holland & Knight LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, and Riddell Williams P.S.

2005
U.S. Bank with Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc., and Volunteer Lawyers Network, Ltd.

2004
State Farm Insurance Companies with Prairie State Legal Services, Inc.

2003
Abbott Laboratories with Baker & McKenzie and Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center