Law Firm Pro Bono Archives - Page 32 of 36

VIDEO: Why Do Pro Bono?

November 9, 2011

Why do pro bono? It’s a question that The PBEye loves hearing because there are so many good reasons. For starters, it may help you live longer. You can literally change the world with pro bono. With enough dedication to pro bono, you can help someone get his life back. Or maybe you do pro bono because you believe that access to justice is a fundamental human right that no one should be denied. We could go on and on, but we’d rather let you hear it from those who do it every day. YouTube Link

Ford, Dykema , and CLR Team Up

October 25, 2011

In 2008, Ford Motor Company**, Dykema Gossett PLLC*, and Community Legal Resources (CLR) conceived of a program to provide legal support to Michigan nonprofit organizations. In the wake of the recession, the nonprofits faced significant financial hardship and found it increasingly difficult to serve their clients. Michigan was one of the states hit hardest by the economic downturn, rendering the services provided by nonprofit organizations all the more important. Witnessing the vulnerability of nonprofits in the state, Ford, Dykema, and CLR developed a program called the Nonprofit Survival Clinic to help implement legal strategies to improve their financial wellbeing. In preparation

VIDEO: Broadening the Bench: Involving Non-Attorneys

October 12, 2011

Law firms and legal departments are made up of a lot of people – many of whom may not be lawyers. Involving paralegals; librarians; compliance specialists; marketing staff; policy, science, human resources, and information technology experts; and other non-lawyer staff in your pro bono efforts is one way to effectively increase your pro bono practice and serve more clients. In order for non-lawyers to successfully contribute to your pro bono efforts: (1) the culture of your firm or organization must support non-lawyer participation; (2) non-lawyers must be informed and made aware of relevant pro bono opportunities; (3) you should cater

VIDEO: Thinking Practically About Pro Bono Risk Management

October 6, 2011

On Tuesday, The PBEye posted a video about risk management at law firms and legal departments in the context of Maples v. Thomas. In Maples, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether a defendant is prohibited from arguing the unconstitutionality of his death sentence in federal habeas proceedings, because – through no fault of his own – his lawyers missed a filing deadline in the Alabama state court. In Tuesday’s video, our own Reena Glazer, assistant director of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project, discussed a few best practices regarding the duty to supervise subordinate lawyers and non-attorneys in pro

VIDEO: Integrating Risk Management into Pro Bono Practice

October 4, 2011

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in the case of Maples v. Thomas, which concerns the appeals process for death row inmate Cory Maples (more on the case and oral arguments here). At issue in the case is whether a mailroom mix-up at the firm that was representing Maples at the time should cost him his critical appeal. The PBEye has been watching the case closely and has some insights on risk management and best practices that pro bono lawyers should consider implementing with regards to supervision of pro bono work and the treatment of pro bono matters

Troy Davis’ Pro Bono Attorney Reflects on the Case

October 4, 2011

The American Lawyer recently published an interview with Jason Ewart, an eighth-year associate in the mergers and acquisitions department at Arnold & Porter LLP*†. Ewart has been in the public eye recently for representing Troy Davis, a Georgia man convicted and sentenced to death for killing an off-duty police officer. He was executed on Sept. 21. Davis maintained his innocence for 20 years, especially after seven of the nine eyewitnesses who originally testified against him changed or withdrew their testimony. Ewart began defending Davis as a first year associate in 2003, with the help of a pro bono legal team

CPBO Spotlight On: Caterpillar Inc.

September 28, 2011

Caterpillar established a pro bono program in 2006, under the leadership of Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Jim Buda, who recognized the benefits of developing a pro bono program, both for the legal division and for the communities in which the company operates. In five short years, the legal division, which consists of more than 300 attorneys and staff in 26 offices worldwide, has provided thousands of hours of pro bono legal services to those in need. In addition, a Charter Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono ChallengeSM, the Caterpillar legal division has met the Challenge’s 50 percent

Predicting the Future by Shaping It

September 23, 2011

At a time when so there is so much uncertainty about the economy and the future, it may seem counterintuitive that PBI is seeing a growing trend in requests for assistance in undertaking strategic planning focused on pro bono from law firms and legal departments. Upon reflection, however, the growth in this part of PBI’s consultative services practice is not surprising. Given the profound shifts in law firm and legal department overall policies and practices, taking a long hard look at the firm or department’s pro bono program to ensure that it is complementary to and fully aligned with the

Chicago Firms Tackle Pro Bono Strategically

September 12, 2011

The PBEye was delighted to see a recent article in Chicago Lawyer Magazine highlighting Chicago-based law firms committed to making pro bono an institutional priority. The article cites the findings from the 2010 Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Report, and how these firms have responded to the “ebb and flow” of attorneys’ pro bono participation over time. The firms quoted in the article include DLA Piper LLP*, Holland & Knight LLP*, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Mayer Brown LLP*, SNR Denton*, and Winston & Strawn LLP*. The article highlights three strategic tactics to increase pro bono participation at large law firms:

Russia’s Pro Bono Revolution

September 8, 2011

Until a few years ago, pro bono was a largely unfamiliar concept in Russia. According to an article in The Moscow Times, Russia’s recent pro bono revolution comes at an opportune time when Russian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are in dire need of legal support: The legal environment for NGOs has become more challenging. New registration requirements and complex tax regulations have added a heavy burden to NGO operations, and securing access to affordable legal support is now critical to strengthening civil society. It is here that both international and local firms can have the greatest impact. Over the past few years, pro bono lawyers from Clifford Chance and other Russia-based law firms have

Category: Law Firm Pro Bono