Law Firm Pro Bono Archives - Pro Bono Institute

The Transformative Impact of the Transgender Name Change Project

January 29, 2025

PBI Signatory Showcase Interview with Quarles & Brady LLP*† The Transgender Name Change Project, a partnership between Quarles & Brady LLP, the Milwaukee (MKE) LGBT Community Center, and Legal Action of Wisconsin, assists transgender and gender non-conforming individuals with legal name changes and updating gender markers on official documents. For this Signatory Showcase, we spoke with Jack Iwrey, General Corporate and Transactional Counsel at Quarles & Brady, about this partnership. Please tell us about this project. The Transgender Name Change Project is a collaborative project between the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, Legal Action of Wisconsin, and Quarles & Brady. The

Celebrating 30 Years of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Initiative

December 17, 2024

Sarah Lahlou-Amine, Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project As we approach 2025, we are thrilled to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® initiative! This milestone marks three decades of unwavering commitment by law firms to provide pro bono legal services to those in need. Background on the Challenge Launched in 1993, implemented in 1995, and administered by the Law Firm Pro Bono Project at PBI, the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative is a unique, aspirational standard developed by law firm leaders and corporate general counsel. The Challenge encourages major law firms to dedicate a

A First: Law Firm Pro Bono Annual Hours Exceed Five Million

June 13, 2019

Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project has issued its 2018 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Initiative. Firms reported performing a total of 5,070,533 hours of pro bono work in 2018 – an increase over 2017. This is the first time signatories have collectively exceeded the 5 million hours mark since the implementation of the Challenge in 1995. The Challenge Report examines the pro bono performance of firms that are signatories to PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative during the 2018 calendar year. Signatories have committed to contribute 3 or 5 percent of their annual billable hours (or,

Listening to Our Pro Bono Clients

May 21, 2019

“Recommending that law firms seek client feedback has become so commonplace and widespread in the industry that the advice is almost clichéd.” Jim Pagliaro Client relations and client feedback have become standard operating procedures on the business side of large law firms. Does the pro bono program adhere to the same values and follow the same standards? Let’s explore the variety of ways that listening to our pro bono clients can improve our delivery of pro bono services, enhance the professional development of firm attorneys, and have a lasting effect on the individuals and communities served. Assuaging Your Clients’ Fears

Nourishing Bodies and Communities Through Pro Bono

January 25, 2019

“Hunger is not an issue of charity. It is an issue of justice.” – Jacques Diouf As we recover from another holiday season full of celebratory meals and parties, many of us are re-committing to healthy eating. Healthy eating, however, isn’t always just a matter of choice (or willpower)! In an era of high food prices and food deserts, sustainable access to nutrition in low-income communities has become a heightened concern. The epidemic of diet-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity points to the urgent need for food justice and improving access to nutritious food. Although programs such as public

Advancing Right to Counsel in Housing

December 20, 2018

Housing is a fundamental human right, yet the United States does not guarantee a right to counsel for individuals fighting to protect the roof over their heads. This means low-income tenants face a high risk of unfavorable outcomes in housing court, including wrongful evictions, simply because they are ill-equipped to defend themselves in eviction proceedings. In several jurisdictions, advocates are organizing to improve the status quo by securing a right to counsel in housing eviction cases. These efforts present unique opportunities for pro bono lawyers. New York. In New York City, there are 230,000 eviction cases or other proceedings brought against

Pro Bono and the Death of the Billable Hour

September 27, 2018

How should we treat our pro bono hours? Traditionally, as an incentive and motivator for attorneys to participate in pro bono, the gold standard was for law firms to treat time spent on pro bono matters the same as time spent on billable matters. At firms with billable hour requirements, pro bono matters would count towards reaching hourly goals. However, we have recently seen a trend of firms of moving away from the billable hour as a tool to evaluate performance of attorneys by either minimizing their importance or doing away with billable hours altogether. For firms that are distancing

When Skills Meet Needs

August 17, 2018

A recent Stanford University-led study found that a majority of adults over the age of 50 highly value “prosocial” behaviors, actions that are positive, caring, helpful and of benefit to others. The study also found that one third of older adults exhibit a need for a purpose that is beyond themselves. This one-third equates to more than 34 million people who dedicate their time to addressing the needs of others and making the world a better place. As a benefit, those who engage in prosocial behaviors reported a more positive outlook on life and positive effects on health. Like the Stanford’s study,

The Numbers Are In!

August 16, 2018

The Law Firm Pro Bono Project recently published its Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® which found that 129 firms collectively demonstrated increased totals in pro bono hours, average hours per attorney, average pro bono percentage, and attorney participation rates. In 2017, signatories reported performing 4,988,525 hours or pro bono work, the largest annual amount since the inception of the Challenge Report in 1995. The annual Report examines the pro bono activities of signatories to the Challenge which serves as a unique and inspirational standard for law firms. In a time when threats to the rule of the law, uncertainty,

Pro Bono at the Border and Beyond

June 25, 2018

Lawyers are stepping up to meet a need once again, as the pro bono community has been mobilizing on the behalf of those in DHS custody along the border. There has been an amazing response by pro bono lawyers to address issues from family detention to reunification, arising from the separation of families at the United States’ borders. PBI reached out to Ellyn Josef of Vinson & Elkins*† and Karen Grisez of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson*† to discuss their work at the border and beyond and how others can get involved. Where and what is the greatest need? KG: The greatest need

Category: Law Firm Pro Bono