Corporate Pro Bono Archives - Page 7 of 19

Guest Blog: More Free Legal Ed for Nonprofits in Ohio

May 24, 2016

On May 13, ACC Central Ohio Chapter (CO-ACC), United Way of Central Ohio (UWCO), CPBO, and Barnes & Thornburg*† hosted another in its series of free legal education programs for nonprofits in Columbus, Ohio. The program, started in 2013, was originally inspired by the Clinic in a Box® program. The presentation topics were Ohio’s laws on fundraising and the regulatory landscape for fundraising for nonprofits, as well as the business of fundraising for nonprofits. The speakers at this session were Veronica Bennu, managing counsel at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company** and Sera Koulabdara, the development officer at Make-a-Wish Foundation. The speakers each

CPBO Challenge® Signatories Shine in America’s 50 Outstanding General Counsel

May 17, 2016

The National Law Journal recently released its annual ranking of America’s 50 Outstanding General Counsel, which recognizes chief legal officers who lead not only their legal teams but in their communities. Highlighting the growing importance of in-house pro bono, the NLJ considers each CLO’s dedication to providing pro bono work to the underrepresented when selecting the 50 outstanding general counsel. The PBEye is excited to note that 15 of the 50 attorneys listed as America’s outstanding general counsel lead departments that are signatories to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® initiative: Ricardo Anzaldua (MetLife Inc.**) Ona Alston Dosunmu (The Brookings Institution**) Cameron Findlay (Archer-Daniels-Midland

Virginia’s Ongoing Commitment to Pro Bono

April 26, 2016

On April 20, the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court convened the 2016 Pro Bono Summit, sponsored by The Virginia Bar Association (VBA) and organized by a committee of the VBA’s recently appointed Pro Bono Council. A biennial event, the first Virginia Pro Bono Summit was called in 2000 by then-Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr., to expand the availability of free legal services for those unable to afford an attorney. The 2016 Summit began with remarks by current Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons, a welcome by VBA President James Patrick Guy II, an introduction by

Ivan Fong of 3M Company Talks Pro Bono

April 8, 2016

Randy Milch, former executive vice president, public policy, and general counsel of Verizon Communications Inc.** and host of Legal Talk Network’s In-House Legal podcast recently spoke with Ivan Fong, the senior vice president of legal affairs and general counsel at 3M Company** about embracing opportunities. Fong leads 3M’s global legal department as well as its compliance and government affairs team. He is also a longtime advocate for in-house pro bono and has encouraged the growth of pro bono culture within in-house legal departments. Fong’s professional trajectory has propelled him through both the private and public sectors. As part of their

Bringing More to Pro Bono: Appreciation for Social Workers

March 18, 2016

Celebrated each March, National Professional Social Work Month is an opportunity to highlight the many contributions social workers make to the communities in which we live, including improving access to justice. Social workers across the country, now numbering in the 600,000s, assist individuals and families in need each day in a wide variety of capacities, including more and more at legal organizations to provide more holistic services to clients facing a variety of critical legal needs. As many pro bono lawyers know, the clients they serve often carry more than just legal-related issues, and may be facing a variety of

A Purpose Beyond Profit

March 17, 2016

We at The PBEye spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about why lawyers, law firms, and legal departments should do pro bono work. In case you need yet another reason, check out The Business Case for Purpose, a recent global survey of 474 executives conducted by Ernst & Young and Harvard Business Review Analytics. They wanted to better understand how a strong shared sense of purpose can help companies meet new challenges and transform their organizations. (The survey defined organizational purpose as “an aspirational reason for being which inspires and provides a call to action for an

Upcoming Webinar: Successful In-House Pro Bono Partnerships

December 10, 2015

Join us on Thursday, December 17, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. ET, for an in-depth look at two successful in-house pro bono partnerships, recipients of the 2015 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Awards: CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Large Law: BNY Mellon**, White & Case*†, and the National LGBT Bar Association for their innovative, high-impact collaboration to develop the Online LGBT Tax Resource; and CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award – Small Law: Best Buy Co., Inc. ** and Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) for their decade-long collaboration on VLN’s Housing Court Project and its Conciliation Court Clinic. The one-hour webinar “Successful In-House Pro Bono Partnerships” will be

Breaking Poverty Barriers to Equal Justice

October 29, 2015

Are you interested in strengthening communication with your pro bono clients? Ethnic and socio-economic cultural differences between pro bono attorneys and clients can jeopardize the attorney-client relationship. Lindquist & Vennum*†, in conjunction with the Volunteer Lawyers Network, developed a training program for use nationwide that aims to bridge these gaps and facilitate systemic change. The training video modules and curriculum guide feature the expertise of Dr. Donna Beegle, a nationally recognized professional trainer from Communication Across Barriers in Portland, Ore. We received a preview of this innovative project earlier this year at the 2015 PBI Annual Conference. Now that the

Global CSR + Pro Bono

September 8, 2015

One of the ways to increase pro bono activities within in-house legal departments is to closely align them with the company’s ethos and its global corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. One such example of the complementary nature of Global CSR and pro bono programs is the work done by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), which have garnered numerous awards and recognition for the company. IBM’s legal department’s pro bono activities routinely match with the company’s CSR initiatives through such programs as IBM’s employee Corporate Service Corps and On Demand Community. In 2011, IBM celebrated its 100-year anniversary by encouraging employees

Katrina and the Legacy of Pro Bono

August 27, 2015

This month marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the devastating toll it took on the Gulf Coast. The legal profession had a key role to play in helping those affected by the storm rebuild their lives and their communities in both the immediate aftermath and the long-term. Residents of New Orleans and the surrounding areas were confronted by a slew of critical legal needs in the wake of the hurricane, but the region lacked the capacity to adequately meet the demand. Pro bono lawyers and law students from around the country stepped in, both remotely and by travelling to

Category: Corporate Pro Bono