Category: Events

The December 2004 Tsunami: A Global Pro Bono “Tipping Point” for Deloitte

PBI was honored to recognize Deloitte Financial Advisory Services (FAS) LLP with the first-ever PBI President’s Award, presented at the 2013 PBI Annual Dinner on November 7 in New York.  Among its many contributions, Deloitte FAS has provided invaluable assistance to PBI, enhancing and refining PBI’s collection and analysis of annual pro bono performance data for its Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® reports.  The company is also working with PBI, Merck & Co., Inc.**, and others on the Pro Bono Measurement Project, a comprehensive process to enable law firms and legal departments to measure the societal good and business benefits

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CPBO at the ACC AM in LA

It’s that time of year again! CPBO will travel to the City of Angels to participate in the 2013 ACC Annual Meeting from October 27-30. At the Meeting, CPBO will host a number of events highlighting in-house pro bono. Clinic in a BoxSM Program Monday, October 28 from 7:00 am – 10:30 am Co-hosted at the Annual Meeting by CPBO, ACC SoCal, Alston & Bird*†, and Public Counsel, CPBO’s Clinic in a BoxSM Program offers in-house counsel the opportunity to earn CLE credit and provide a pro bono legal assessment to representatives of Los Angeles area nonprofits. Pre-registration is required

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In-House Hot Topic: Technology

While some in-house attendees at this year’s PBI Annual Conference talked about recognition during the In-House Track Hot Topics Session, another group focused on technology’s existing and potential impact on pro bono.  David March, senior counsel at Target Corporation**, led representatives from seven legal departments in a thoughtful discussion of the topic, which emphasized that technology, when applied properly, can assist remote clients and improve the effectiveness of pro bono efforts.  Those points and the challenges associated with using technology for pro bono are summarized below. Delivery of Pro Bono Services One of the greatest challenges to improving access to

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Pro Bono and the Courts

As The PBEye previously detailed, the judiciary is becoming an increasingly prominent player in the fight to advance access to justice.  In order to learn more, PBI hosted a panel of distinguished judges at the closing plenary session of its 2013 Annual Conference. The panel, moderated by PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent, included: • Hon. William Bright—Judge, Connecticut Superior Court • Hon. Bernice B. Donald—Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit • Hon.  Jonathan Lippman—Chief Judge, New York Court of Appeals • Hon. Eric Washington—Chief Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals The judges discussed the

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Honoring Our Veterans Through Pro Bono

Aimee Sherrod was only 25 years old when she was discharged from the Air Force. She was deployed three times from 2001-2005, serving in both Iraq and Pakistan, where she frequently saw the horrors of war firsthand. After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Sherrod was separated from the military and was denied the military retirement benefits to which she was entitled. She married and started a family, but her young family suffered from the financial burden of purchasing healthcare, and they could not afford an essential surgery her son needed. In 2008, the National Veterans Legal Services Program

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“IP”ro Bono

Attendees at the PBI Annual Conference last month had the opportunity to learn about an exciting new pilot initiative called the Minnesota LegalCorps Inventor Assistant Program.  John Calvert from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Candee Goodman from Lindquist & Vennum PLLP*† were on hand to speak about the program and educate attendees as to how this can be a resource for IP lawyers looking to do pro bono work, while helping jumpstart the U.S. economy.  Independent inventors fuel innovation that can inspire inventions and create new businesses and jobs.  However, they often need legal help they

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Guest Blog: “Insurmountable Opportunities”

One of the speakers at the PBI Annual Conference this year offered a quote from the classic comic strip philosopher Pogo as an apt description of the current state of pro bono, “We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.”  One of the greatest benefits of attending the Conference for me (for the first time), was the sense of instant community I had with the people I met — bright, energetic, dedicated professionals, all faced with the same set of insurmountable opportunities. When I signed on to attend the Conference, I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to get out of it. 

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Pro Bono Gives Second Chances

What is life like for ex-offenders when they are released back into society after serving their sentences?  The PBEye recently saw a documentary which answers this question.  Graduate film students at The George Washington University Documentary Center explored this issue in the film “Released to Life”, which was named “Washington’s Best Film” in D.C.’s inaugural documentary competition.  The filmmakers shed some light on programs that are helping convicts rehabilitate and which services are sorely lacking for those leaving prison without a job, home, and everyday life skills to aid the transition. Ex-offenders face a myriad of obstacles including legal barriers, such

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TKO for Pro Bono

The PBEye sends special congratulations to Dewey Bozella on winning his first and only professional boxing match on Saturday.  As we’ve reported on this blog previously, Bozella was an amateur boxer when he as wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 26 years in prison.  He was released in 2008 thanks to the hard work of attorneys at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP*, which took his case pro bono. Incidentally, Bozella will be our special guest at the 2011 PBI Annual Dinner in New York.  Bozella’s story is truly inspiring and reminds us of the importance of pro bono in closing

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Thank Up

We received a suggestion from one of our 2011 Seminar/Forum attendees on how legal services providers can better publicize their appreciation for pro bono assistance within a law firm or corporation with which they partnered: “Make sure that, in addition to thanking the individual attorneys, legal service providers also ‘thank up’ the chain to show value, then the thank yous will funnel down.” Making leadership aware of the efforts of their pro bono lawyers can spread institution-wide awareness and may inspire more lawyers to participate in future projects and partnerships And while we’re talking about thanks, we’d like to thank

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