Corporate Pro Bono Archives - Page 10 of 19

Aging Out, Pro Bono Steps In

August 26, 2014

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

In Western-MA, MassMutual Leads

August 20, 2014

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

Television and Pro Bono: An Innovative Approach

July 16, 2014

How does one of the world’s premier entertainment brands engage its lawyers in pro bono? It does what comes naturally and combines the medium of television with the unique skills of its legal department and production staff to make a difference to those in need around the globe. In 2006, Kenya adopted the Sexual Offences Act, designed to combat gender-based violence. For several years after its passage, implementation of the law proved difficult as the new rights and obligations were not well-understood. To increase public awareness of gender-based violence and the implications of the new law, the legal department of Viacom International Media

David Leitch Remarks – McGuire Woods Partners’ Retreat

June 11, 2014

Ford Motor Company** Group Vice President and General Counsel David Leitch recently delivered remarks at the McGuire Woods Partners’ Retreat. Leitch touched on the history of the company’s pro bono program and provided excellent examples of how pro bono services can greatly impact communities in need. See his remarks below. Shortly after Henry Ford began the Ford Motor Company in 1903, he said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” Ford felt that a good company not only creates good products for its customers, but serves the communities in which we live. You can hear echoes

Sikorsky Committed to Helping Veterans

June 10, 2014

The PBEye is proud to highlight one legal department’s efforts to assist veterans on a pro bono basis. The Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC), a nonprofit that helps veterans overcome legal barriers, was just four-months old with only one full-time staff member when it was approached by the Sikorsky Aircraft, Corp. In the years since, Sikorsky’s legal department has built a pro bono project that dedicates staff and resources to achieve a number of positive outcomes for veterans in Connecticut. Sikorsky, while small in staff, has worked with CVLC to provide pro bono representation in more than 20 cases to

Florida Announces New Authorized House Counsel Pro Bono Practice Rule

April 18, 2014

The Florida Supreme Court recently amended the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar to permit in-house counsel who are barred and in good standing in another jurisdiction and certified to work for their employer in Florida (“authorized house counsel”) to also provide pro bono legal services. While a step in the right direction, the amendment unfortunately imposes several limitations that make it among the most restrictive in the U.S. Prior to the amendment, Florida did not permit authorized house counsel to provide pro bono legal services. Under the new rule, authorized house counsel may engage in pro bono but as an

Making a Case for Pro Bono

April 16, 2014

For over a decade, PBI has promoted the “business case” for pro bono. Indeed, PBI’s research suggests that the benefits of pro bono outweigh the costs of starting and maintaining a pro bono program. In particular, pro bono engagement can help a law firm or legal department recruit and retain talent, develop the professional skills of its attorneys, and increase employee engagement. This is a case PBI reiterated for law firms in a 2010 law review article and for in-house departments in a 2013 paper. So The PBEye was heartened to see the business case argument compellingly made this month

The Polar Vortex and Pro Bono

February 25, 2014

This winter, Americans across the country have faced extreme weather as streets became covered in ice and mounds of snow and temperatures and wind chills dropped to record lows. Many of us have complained about this seemingly endless winter, but we’ve also had the privilege of being able to stay warm in our homes and offices. We at The PBEye have tried to remember to be sensitive to the needs of others. According to government data, more than 600,000 Americans are homeless on any given night and approximately 700 homeless people die from hypothermia each year. While many cities guarantee

New Legislation Brings New Opportunity

February 11, 2014

As Target Corporation**, Lindquist & Vennum*, and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) demonstrate, with new legislation comes new opportunities to serve those in desperate need of legal assistance. In June 2012, the Obama Administration issued a directive implemented by the Department of Homeland Security which provides eligible immigrants the opportunity to defer deportation action and seek work authorization through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In Minnesota, a team of lawyers from Target, Lindquist, and ILCM, worked together to develop a pro bono project to help these young immigrants realize their rights under this new directive.

In-House Pro Bono in Australia

January 24, 2014

This week The PBEye takes a look at pro bono down under where Telstra, one of the largest in-house legal departments in Australia, has expanded the company’s responsibility to be a good corporate citizen to include legal pro bono work. Working with Justice Connect, the new name for the merged Public Interest Law Clearing Houses of the states of New South Wales and Victoria, Telstra’s legal department has provided hundreds of hours of pro bono assistance to underserved communities throughout Australia. The push to engage in direct legal services came from the legal team at Telstra. A department of about

Category: Corporate Pro Bono