Corporate Pro Bono Resources

CORPORATE PRO BONO COMMUNITY

Join the Corporate Pro Bono Community Leaders Group! This group allows in-house pro bono leaders to ask queries, and connect with colleagues at other companies with similar interests or desired experiences to have conversations on topics of interest to them. The purpose of this community is to allow for targeted, relevant, collegial, and candid conversation and exploration between in-house pro bono leaders. Please email the CPBO project team to join the group.

ETHICS RESOURCES AND PROGRAMMING

The CPBO project’s Ethics of In-House Pro Bono program is an off-the-shelf, customizable presentation for in-house attorneys interested in legal pro bono service. The program identifies ethical rules relevant to in-house pro bono practice and highlights best practices for in-house counsel to avoid ethical or liability issues in pro bono matters. The one to two hour presentation covers several topics, including:

• managing pro bono matters;
• multijurisdictional practice rules;
• avoiding conflicts of interest and positional/business conflicts; and
• providing limited scope representation.

Guidance, sample resources, and materials are provided. The CPBO project team also provides onsite assistance, including panel participation, if desired. A law firm or other interested organization may co-host a program to assist with obtaining CLE credit.

IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES

The CPBO project team assists legal departments, in-house counsel, and ACC chapters in identifying existing pro bono opportunities and developing new models and programs tailored to meet the needs and interests of in-house counsel and their communities. Such programs and models include expanding community service efforts to include a legal component, collaborating with other legal departments, working with nonprofits and community development organizations, and creating organization-wide, impactful projects.

INSURANCE

The CPBO project team works with in-house lawyers to address the challenges related to obtaining malpractice insurance coverage for the pro bono work they do. Although legal malpractice lawsuits resulting from pro bono services are extremely rare, it is important that in-house counsel and their corporations are protected from legal malpractice liability.

In-house attorneys have several options for coverage, including:

• working with a legal services organization that will provide coverage for volunteers;
• obtaining coverage directly with the help of a broker either:
  • under existing insurance policies (e.g., adding an employed lawyers endorsement to a directors and officers liability policy);
  • purchasing a stand-alone employed lawyers insurance policy; or
• joining an organization that provides liability insurance options to its members.

For more information about insurance for in-house pro bono refer to our paper, which summarizes the benefits and drawbacks of the various options available to in-house counsel: Professional Liability Insurance for In-House Pro Bono or our infographic: In-House Pro Bono Insurance. The CPBO project’s previously recorded webinar, In-House Pro Bono: Professional Liability, is also available on request. 

TRAININGS AND PRESENTATIONS

The CPBO project regularly presents on various in-house pro bono topics and is available to provide training or speak at events, such as:

• legal department meetings;
• regional meetings;
• conferences;
• pro bono and access to justice pro bono summits;
• ACC chapter events; and
• pro bono program launches.

The CPBO project also hosts webinars on topics relevant to in-house pro bono featuring in-house practitioners. For a current list of webinars on demand, check out PBI’s webinar page. 

To learn more and access these resources for your ACC chapter or legal department, contact the CPBO project team.