Video Archives - Page 7 of 8 - Pro Bono Institute

VIDEO: Pro Bono for Global Social Change

October 25, 2011

The PBEye has been excited to report on various global pro bono efforts that have harnessed the power of attorneys to affect social change. So of course we were delighted to talk to Edwin Rekosh, executive director of PILnet (formerly the Public Interest Law Institute), abut his organization’s mission to promote the use of law for social change. Internationally, civil society organizations are using legal tools to pursue certain public interests, but don’t always have the backing of pro bono lawyers that they do in the U.S. That’s where PILnet seeks to strengthen pro bono culture to assist foreign NGOs.

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

VIDEO: How Effective is Your Pro Bono?

October 3, 2011

Pro bono work can make a big impact in the life of an individual or an entire community. But often, regardless of the scale, it is difficult to gauge effectiveness of the services rendered. And as pro bono work matures, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to measure its effectiveness across multiple fields. David Williams, CEO of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, talked to The PBEye about several topics including how creating common metrics for pro bono work being done by law firms, legal departments, and public interest groups can take pro bono to the next level. Williams, who

VIDEO: Helping Lawyers Help Immigrants in Need

August 24, 2011

It comes as a surprise to many to learn that, in the United States, an immigrant detainee facing deportation who cannot afford to hire an attorney is not appointed one. Without the assistance of pro bono counsel, many immigrants – some of them asylum seekers and victims of violent crimes – are denied the opportunity to identify legal recourse or present their cases to the courts. To learn how pro bono lawyers can help immigrant detainees gain access to justice, we spoke to Maria Odom, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC). Maria gave us some interesting

Ashe Awardee Fights for Justice

July 15, 2011

Yet again, pro bono is found where one would least expect it. The PBEye was pleased to hear that ESPN gave the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to Dewey Rader Bozella at its annual ESPY Awards earlier this week. Bozella, 51, was imprisoned for 26 years following a wrongful conviction in the gruesome murder of a 92-year-old woman in 1977. Our own Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Signatory WilmerHale was the firm behind Bozella’s 2009 release. But this pro bono miracle came only after many trials and tribulations for this innocent man. Bozella had a rough childhood, from witnessing his

VIDEO: Legal Services and You

July 14, 2011

As pro bono has grown and evolved over the years, partnerships among the various stakeholders regarding access to justice issues have become increasingly popular. Collaborations between law firms, corporate legal departments and legal services organizations have become more common as a way to pool resources and expertise for pro bono legal work. Now we are seeing even more involvement from government as various jurisdictions look to maximize often scarce resources for the administration of justice. The PBEye recently had a chance to speak with our friend Jim Sandman, president of the Legal Services Corporation, a federally established nonprofit designed to

VIDEO: How Pro Bono Can Help Firms Recover

June 20, 2011

Last week we brought you The Evolving Law Firm Business Model and its Impact on Pro Bono, a webinar on how law firms have dealt with the economic crisis and are responding to a new market (on demand version coming soon). This week we have a few words from our friend Marlene Halpern at The Legal Aid Society on a related topic. Halpern, supervising attorney for pro bono at Legal Aid, talks about firms’ recovery from the economic crisis as an emerging issue and practical ways it intersects with the need for pro bono services for the poor. YouTube Link

VIDEO: Leveraging Resources for Pro Bono

May 11, 2011

Over the years we’ve seen some very interesting pro bono programs and projects, particularly those created or modified in response to the global economic crisis. It seems that many lawyers and other people involved understand the importance of creativity and scalability when approaching access to justice issues. We at the PBEye think this column on the astounding growth of Bet Tzedek legal services from one to 31 offices in just a year illustrates just that. Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation, examines how the project essentially became a national organization without the hassle of a large, cumbersome

Category: Video