Author: dlipscomb

Integrating Pro Bono and Charitable Giving

At a time when law firms are being particularly careful about spending, there are synergies to be leveraged by integrating the firm’s pro bono program with its business giving and charitable foundation. There are different models of law firm charitable foundations and they vary in the way they operate, are structured, and how they intersect with the pro bono program. Check out the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s recently updated compilation of Member Firms and Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Signatories that have charitable giving foundations, where you can read about the foundations’ missions, structures, and the organizations to which

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A Mighty Few Seek to Protect Native American Art

While only a small group, volunteers from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Northwest Justice Project, and Foster Pepper are aiming to have a big impact on a serious problem for Native American and Alaska Native artisans: counterfeiters. Many Native American and Alaska native artists, whose income relies on creating and selling traditional arts and crafts, are unable to compete with counterfeiters who saturate the market with mass produced knock-offs. Beginning in 2010, the lean team of four attorneys and eight non-lawyers (including the AFSC volunteer committee) has attacked this issue using multiple legal and non-legal avenues by educating Native artisans

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Video: Why Do Pro Bono? Jerri Shick, O’Melveny & Myers

Pro bono is a great opportunity for making unexpected and sometimes lifelong connections. This week, we hear from Jerri Shick, pro bono counsel at O’Melveny & Myers*, as she explains how pro bono work helped her form a personal connection with a client. YouTube Link * denotes Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® signatory

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Aging Out, Pro Bono Steps In

In 2012, more than 23,000 children turned 18 and “aged out” of the foster care system in the U.S., according to federal statistics. Without parents or guardians for support, these children often face the usual challenges of growing up without parental advice or guidance. And unlike teenagers and young adults who gradually learn to deal with real-world challenges, these former foster care children are thrown into adulthood headfirst. The day they turn 18, they exit the system and must care for themselves – signing an apartment lease, applying for jobs, learning to cook, and graduating high school all on their

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Is Your Firm Camera-Ready? (Part Two)

Last week, The PBEye reported on ways that firms can use videos both internally and externally to showcase their commitment to pro bono and enhance their pro bono marketing efforts. These videos come in many varieties; some videos feature attorneys and staff discussing why they do pro bono and the broad range of the firm’s pro bono offerings, others go deep and focus on particular pro bono cases undertaken by the firm, and some spotlight pro bono clients, enabling them to tell their own stories and share their perspectives. We recently reviewed more than 80 pro bono videos, which had

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In Western-MA, MassMutual Leads

Headquartered in Springfield, Mass., and having a large satellite office in nearby Enfield, Conn., with a combined legal department composed of 56 attorneys and 80 non-lawyers, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company** (MassMutual) has the distinction of employing more lawyers than any other company or law firm in the greater Springfield area. As a result, when the legal department started to formalize its pro bono efforts in 2007, it did not have the option of working with a larger legal department or large firm with an existing pro bono program. Instead, MassMutual developed its own distinctive pro bono effort. Over the

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Professional Development for Pro Bono Leaders

Membership in the Law Firm Pro Bono Project offers unmatched pro bono professional development, training, and networking opportunities. At a time when changes are being implemented at law firms on what seems like a daily basis, it is more important than ever to stay on top of current industry trends and best practices. Members receive exclusive benefits that make it easier for their firms to administer successful law firm pro bono programs. These benefits include, among other things, 1/3 off registration fees to the PBI Annual Conference and free access to webinars and on-demand programming with PBI’s network of experts.

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Is Your Firm Camera-Ready? (Part One)

For law firms looking to spice up their pro bono marketing, videos can be an effective option. As we’ve previously reported, a video is an innovative and engaging way to promote your firm’s pro bono program and demonstrate your firm’s dedication to pro bono. Our friends at Faegre Baker Daniels*† have given us helpful guidance on how videos can strengthen both internal and external pro bono marketing efforts. Internally, firms can use a video to capture attention during presentations at firm annual meetings, as the nature of pro bono practice lends itself to video presentation more than other topics typically

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Welcome to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®

The Law Firm Pro Bono Project is pleased to announce two new additions to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®: Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz*† recently signed on to the Challenge and Stinson Leonard Street*†, the firm that resulted from the merger earlier this year of Leonard, Street and Deinard and Stinson Morrison Hecker, renewed their commitment to the Challenge. We are excited to welcome both of these firms, whose attorneys and staff have shown a strong dedication to pro bono work by providing a wide range of legal services to those in need. Since 1993, the Law Firm

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Video: Why Do Pro Bono? Bill Lienhard, Volunteers of Legal Service

Many attorneys remember their first time representing a client in court and how intimidating it was. Now imagine how intimidating it must be for clients who are forced to represent themselves without proper training and guidance. This week, we hear from Executive Director of Volunteers of Legal Service Bill Lienhard as he explains his personal experience as a new attorney and the importance of pro bono. YouTube Link

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