The Pro Bono Wire

The Pro Bono Wire is PBI’s online newsletter. We encourage Law Firm, In-House, and Public Interest pro bono leaders as well as other interested stakeholders to sign up to receive this valuable resource. Members of the Press are also encouraged to receive The Wire. To subscribe to The Wire, click here.

Read archived issues of The Wire here.

2024 Year in Review

Letter From the President

 Dear Colleagues:

We are excited to share highlights of PBI’s work in 2024 and a collection of resources designed to help you implement and manage your pro bono program.

With new and recurring challenges ahead, the legal community remains dedicated to addressing the needs of underserved populations and finding new and effective ways to expand access to justice.

PBI is available to support you. Here are a few ways to stay connected and advance your pro bono work:

In 2025, stay tuned for new PBI resources and programs, as well as updates to our existing pool of materials. We look forward to supporting your pro bono efforts and to a successful year of driving positive change for access to justice.

Thank you and enjoy!

Eve Runyon

President & CEO

In Memoriam

We are deeply saddened to have lost two dear friends and Board Members of PBI in 2024.

James W. Jones, IV

February 28, 1945 – December 11, 2024

Chair Emeritus, PBI Board of Directors

James (Jim) W. Jones, IV unexpectedly passed away on December 11. Jim was Chair of PBI’s Board of Directors for 27 years, from its inception in 1996 through December 2023. Jim was a dear friend and champion of PBI and its mission, providing wise, warm, and dependable counsel for decades, always with a twinkle in his eyes.

Jim is missed far more than we can express, although his influence and impact on PBI and the entire legal and access to justice community will continue to be felt.

Jim’s obituary can be viewed here.

John J. Conroy, Jr.

June 5, 1953 – September 23, 2024

Board member, PBI Board of Directors

John J. Conroy, Jr. passed away on September 23. John began his legal career at Baker McKenzie in Chicago and was a former Global Chair and partner of the Firm. A brilliant lawyer, John was as passionate about client relationship development and mentorship as he was about pro bono work. He was the recipient of the PBI 2020 Chesterfield Smith Award in recognition of his extraordinary dedication to pro bono and the Law Firm Pro Bono Project over the course of his career.

John is greatly missed by PBI and all those lucky enough to have known him, and his legacy lives on as an inspiration to the pro bono leaders who follow.

John’s obituary can be viewed here.

Save the Dates 2025

PBI 2025 Annual Conference

AI + Pro Bono Pre-Conference

February 26-28, 2025

The Westin Washington, D.C., Downtown

PBI 2025 Annual Dinner

October 27, 2025

Gotham Hall, New York

PBI 2024 Annual Conference

In March, PBI hosted the 2024 Annual Conference and the AI + Pro Bono Pre-Conference. The Conference covered a variety of current and emerging topics that impact law firms, in-house departments, and public interest organizations. We also celebrated the 2024 Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono awardee Zurich North America** and Laura J. Lazarczyk, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary and the 2024 President’s Awardee James W. Jones.

Zurich North America joined PBI’s Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Challenge initiative in 2016. The engagement of Zurich employees in the pro bono program exceeds national averages. For example, in 2023, 100 percent of Zurich’s U.S.-based lawyers in Legal Counsel roles volunteered to participate in the pro bono program and staffed 150 volunteer shifts in the U.S. totaling 500 pro bono service hours. Read more about their impactful work here.

James W. Jones received the PBI President’s Award in recognition of extraordinary contributions to PBI initiatives and unequaled thought and action leadership to pro bono in the legal community. Jim was a champion of PBI’s mission, pro bono, and access to justice, and served as the PBI Chair of the Board of Directors for 27 years, since PBI’s inception. Read more about Jim and the award here.

Jim’s obituary can be viewed here.

The AI + Pro Bono Pre-Conference convened pro bono and access to justice leaders from law firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations. Themes identified at the Pre-Conference included:

  • The development and use of AI is moving quickly. Now is the time to investigate and determine how AI may be beneficial to your organization.
  • While AI is not the solution to access to justice, nor should it be used as a substitute for meaningful legal advice, it brings great efficiency and can help expand access to legal information and assistance.

Find on-demand recordings of 2024 Conference and Pre-Conference programming here. Sessions from the PBI 2024 Annual Conference offering CLE credit are online via the West LegalEdcenter® (WLEC).

PBI 2024 Annual Dinner

A Celebration of Exceptional Pro Bono Achievements

2024 John H. Pickering Award

At the 2024 Annual Dinner in October, PBI presented the 2024 John H. Pickering Award to Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP* (MTO) in recognition of MTO’s outstanding institutional commitment to pro bono work and the inspiring performance of its attorneys and staff.

MTO, a charter signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, has set a high standard in the legal community with its dedication of resources to pro bono efforts that address critical issues such as voting rights, civil liberties, racial and criminal justice, housing, women’s rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Watch their video below, and read more here.

2024 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Awards

The CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award recognizes innovative pro bono collaborations of in-house legal departments with law firms and public interest organizations.

PBI was proud to present two CPBO Pro Bono Partner Awards in 2024 to the following organizations:

Paramount Global** and Loeb & Loeb LLP*† have built a dedicated pro bono partnership over the past 5 years. Together they have worked to develop sustainable projects to address critical legal needs in the communities where they live and work, by providing pro bono legal services through both local and national legal aid organizations. The partnership’s projects range from brief advice clinics to long-term representation of pro bono clients, and cover legal issues including voting rights, humanitarian parole, SNAP benefits, veterans’ benefits, healthcare directives, small business support, and more. Watch their video below, and read more here.

PSE&G, Gibbons P.C.*†, McCarter & English, LLP*†, and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) launched the Veterans Legal Program (VLP) in 2014, offering legal assistance to veterans on issues such as child support modifications, driver’s license restoration, criminal record expungements, estate planning, eviction defense and other civil legal issues. Watch their video below, and read more here.

Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Report

The 2024 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Initiative reveals a significant milestone since the initiative began in 1995 with Pro Bono Challenge signatories performing 100 million hours of pro bono service over the life of the Challenge. (The 2024 Challenge Report examines the pro bono engagement of firms that are signatories to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative during the 2023 calendar year.) 120 participating firms reported performing a total of 5,076,659 hours of pro bono work in 2023 – a 2.5 percent increase from 2022.

Other positive key metrics included:

  • Firms reported performing more than 5 million pro bono hours for those of limited means and organizations serving them. This amounts to 74 percent of all pro bono time for those firms.
  • About 7 percent of reporting firms indicated that they had either increased or maintained their efforts on behalf of racial justice.
  • The percentage of attorneys engaged in pro bono slightly increased with 8 percent of partners participating in pro bono, up from 63.1 percent in 2022, and 84 percent of associates participating compared to 83.4 percent in 2022.

We thank and congratulate the Challenge signatories whose important contributions to access to justice are reflected in this Report. We look forward to celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Challenge throughout 2025 and continuing to enhance and improve access to justice in the years to come. Read the full report here. Interested in your firm becoming a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge signatory? Find out how.

Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge signatories will soon be receiving their annual survey questionnaires, with responses due by March 6, 2025. We are asking all signatories to complete the survey!

Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Challenge Report

CPBO released its 2024 Corporate Pro Bono Challenge Report: In-House Pro Bono on the Rise, which benchmarks pro bono performance in 2023. The annual report analyzes pro bono participation of CPBO Challenge® signatories.

This year, the data from Challenge signatories showed an increase in pro bono participation by in-house legal departments. On average, the pro bono participation rate for 2023 for all survey respondents was 53 percent for U.S. lawyers, 41 percent for U.S. legal staff, and 35 percent for lawyers outside of the U.S. These percentages are all at the highest levels since the pandemic.

Participation in pro bono by U.S. legal staff of signatories that responded to the CPBO Challenge surveys for both 2022 and 2023 increased by five percent during this two-year period, from 33 percent in 2022 to 38 percent in 2023.

An Overview of Corporate Pro Bono in 2023

  • 53 percent of U.S. lawyers at responding departments participated in pro bono in 2023 (compared to 49 percent in 2022).
  • The average pro bono participation rate for U.S. legal staff increased significantly: 41 percent of U.S. legal staff participated in pro bono in 2023 (compared to 33 percent of U.S. legal staff in 2022).
  • 51 percent of responding departments met the goal of at least 50 percent pro bono participation by U.S. lawyers in 2023 (compared to 49 percent in 2022).
  • The percentage of responding departments that met the goal of at least 50 percent participation by U.S. staff increased to 35 percent in 2023 (compared to 32 percent in 2022).

Thank you to the Chief Legal Officers and General Counsel encouraging and supporting pro bono efforts in their departments, which increases access to justice.

Challenge signatories will soon receive their surveys for calendar year 2024 due March 14, 2025. We are asking all signatories to complete the survey!

CPBO Benchmarking Report

CPBO also published the 2024 Benchmarking Report: An Overview of In-House Pro Bono, which summarizes the responses of 54 legal departments, providing unique insight into current trends among in-house pro bono.

Key highlights from the report include:

  • In-house departments are increasingly hiring attorneys and staff to manage the pro bono program. In 2024, 24 percent of responding departments have one or more full-time attorney or other professional whose job duties include management of the pro bono program, up from 19 percent of responding departments in 2022.
  • In-house departments uniformly invite legal staff to participate in pro bono alongside attorneys. 100 percent of responding departments permit legal department staff to participate in pro bono
  • Pro bono beyond the U.S. continues to grow. In 2024, 60 percent of responding departments engage in global pro bono, up from 48 percent of responding departments in 2022.
  • In-house pro bono values partnerships. The data from this report suggests that in-house counsel, law firm attorneys, legal aid attorneys, and their staff are increasing their impact by partnering together on pro bono. 
  • In-house pro bono programs are increasingly measuring their impact. In 2024, 92 percent of responding legal departments tracked pro bono metrics, up from 82 percent in 2022.

The Benchmarking Report, released in August 2024, was initially shared with respondents, CPBO Challenge Signatories, and Law Firm Pro Bono Project members, and is now publicly viewable and shareable here.

PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Project Staffing Report

The PBI 2024 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project® Staffing Survey offers insights into law firm staffing methods and the challenges and opportunities associated with various means of constructing and implementing a law firm pro bono program.

Key highlights from the report include:

  • 92 percent of responding firms employ one or more pro bono professionals.
  • 71 percent employ one or more pro bono professionals responsible for program oversight coupled with one or more professionals who provide administrative or operational support.
  • 87 percent of firms have a firm-wide pro bono committee, with committee roles varying from policy development to supervision and oversight.
  • Of these committees, 51 percent have overlapping membership with firm management or policy committees.
  • 62 percent of professionals dedicate virtually all their time to pro bono program oversight.
  • 30 percent split their time between oversight and substantive representation of pro bono clients.
  • 30 percent have significant non-pro bono related responsibilities, which may include corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, sustainability projects, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

View the full report here. PBI hosted a webinar in December 2024 for Law Firm Pro Bono Project members on the patterns and trends observed in the Staffing Report. If you are a current member, contact us for the recording. 

Financial Institution Pro Bono Day

April 18, 2024, marked the fifth annual Financial Institution Pro Bono Day (FIPBD), led by CPBO, in partnership with 48 legal departments in the finance and insurance industries across 81 opportunities for pro bono service and training.

Approximately 950 in-house attorneys and legal staff volunteered in pro bono events, along with more than 400 law firm volunteers. Collectively, FIPBD volunteers served more than 1,200 clients around the world.

Find out more and get inspiration for your next project or program.

Planning is underway for the next FIPBD: April 24, 2025! If your legal department in the financial or insurance industry would like to participate and you have not already informed us, please contact CPBO staff at cpbo@probonoinst.org.

EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day

On November 14, 2024, the third annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day brought together in-house legal teams from electric and gas companies, including Alliant Energy Corporation, Ameren Corporation, Avangrid, Inc., Con Edison, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy Corporation**, El Paso Electric Company, Entergy Corporation**, Exelon Corporation**, FirstEnergy Service Company, KPMG**, National Grid, PPL, PSE&G, and Southern California Edison Company, providing crucial pro bono legal assistance to underserved communities.

This year marks a significant increase in both volunteer participation and the number of clients served: 326 in-house volunteers participated, offering vital legal assistance to 463 clients. Find out more here.

2024 PBEye Blogs

2024 PBI Signatory Showcase

Each year, the signatories to the PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge and Corporate Pro Bono Challenge initiatives provide important pro bono services to underserved, disadvantaged, and other individuals or groups unable to secure the legal assistance needed to address critical problems. This Showcase spotlights some of the impactful work PBI signatories have done to serve those in need.

DLA Piper*

Rebuilding Hope: Pro Bono for Ukraine’s Small Businesses

BLOG: The war in Ukraine has dramatically impacted the country’s small businesses. DLA Piper’s nonprofit affiliate, New Perimeter, a global pro bono initiative, is working with the Uzhorod National University Faculty of Law, a law school in Western Ukraine, to help establish and support a legal clinic that will enable Law School faculty and students to provide pro bono assistance to address the critical legal needs of Ukrainian small businesses.

GSK**

Empowering New Beginnings: Pro Bono Efforts to Secure Identity and Support for the Homeless

PODCAST: Since 2015, GSK has partnered with Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), an organization that provides free legal services to individuals and families who experience or face homelessness in Philadelphia. GSK lawyers and legal professionals assist with securing birth certificates for clients, which enables the clients to apply for housing. GSK also participates in HAP’s SOAR (SSI, Outreach, Access, and Recovery) project to obtain expedited rulings on Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance cases to help provide income to individuals who are unable to work due to a disability.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP*

When Virtual Still Works: Helping the Housing Crisis in More Rural Areas

BLOG: Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP has partnered with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to staff a helpline for tenants facing eviction or related housing crises. Through the helpline, tenants can receive advice about their legal rights and assistance with completing pro se forms, such as answers and motions, to file in their cases.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP*

Creatively Redressing the Criminalization of Marijuana Use

PODCAST: In partnership with The Bronx Defenders, Cleary attorneys have been supporting the launch of New York State’s Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licensing program. The first of its kind, this program prioritizes licensing individuals affected by the past criminalization of marijuana use. The program is intended to redress the harms of those prior convictions, while also building intergenerational wealth and strengthening communities.

Koch Capabilities, LLC** and Barnes & Thornburg LLP*

The Force Multiplier Effect: Combining Partnership, Mentorship, Technology and More to Serve Nonprofits and Impact Community

BLOG: In February 2020, Koch Industries welcomed representatives from their panel of preferred law firms to Wichita. Koch General Counsel Ray Geoffroy challenged the law firms to partner with Koch’s Pro Bono Initiative and become a “force multiplier” to Koch’s efforts. Further, he set the expectation that the firms’ commitment to its Pro Bono Initiative would be considered a factor in awarding work. A few months after the Wichita summit, Koch panel firm Barnes & Thornburg committed 10,000 hours of pro bono work to its Initiative – across all subject matter areas, all offices, and all attorneys around the U.S. – to support the nearly 320 non-profit community organizations backed by Stand Together, a philanthropic community founded by Koch Capabilities Chairman and CEO, Charles Koch.

Entergy Legal Department**

Lighting Up Justice: The Spark of EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day

PODCAST: In 2022, CPBO partnered with the legal department of Entergy Corporation and Edison Electric Institute to establish EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day. EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day is an annual day of pro bono service for volunteer attorneys and legal staff from electric and gas companies. For each EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day, Entergy has offered significant pro bono events and opportunities across jurisdictions engaging their pro bono volunteers in innovative ways.

Kimball Electronics, Inc.**

In-House Counsel in the Community: Advancing Justice Through Pro Bono in Domestic Violence and Immigration Matters

BLOG: Organized by the Orange County Public Law Center (PLC), Kimball Electronics has been actively involved in the Domestic Violence Assistance Program where they provide vital legal support, assisting clients in obtaining restraining orders to protect them from domestic violence. These efforts are crucial in empowering individuals to secure their safety and that of their loved ones. The department also collaborates with the Indiana Bar Foundation’s Indiana Legal Help walk-in clinics, both in-person and online. The Kimball Electronics’ legal department is leaning into a mission of leveraging their legal expertise to promote equal access to justice and alleviate barriers faced by underserved communities.

Citigroup Inc.**

Building Bridges through Pro Bono

PODCAST: The St. Louis Pro Bono Partnership is a remarkable collaboration involving three key organizations, Citigroup Inc. (Citi), Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner*, and the local legal aid organization, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, that are focused on providing legal support to underserved communities. The partnership is a testament to the impact that can be achieved through collaboration. From elderly clients to domestic violence victims and micro-entrepreneurs, this decade-long initiative has made a significant difference in the community.

Ballard Spahr*

Beyond the Classroom: The Future of Academic Freedom in Florida

BLOG: Ballard Spahr attorneys shed light on their pivotal role in challenging Florida’s controversial HB7, also known as the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, through the high-stakes case of Pernell v. Lamb. Ballard Spahr’s team discusses their strategic approach to defending academic freedom and combating censorship in education. They delve into the legal and ethical implications of the act, highlighting their commitment to pro bono work and the broader impact on democratic values.

Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga*†

Voices for Change: Pro Bono Advocacy for Social Justice in Brazil

PODCAST: Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga has been a trailblazer in advancing access to justice in Brazil, dedicating its pro bono efforts to some of the most pressing social issues. Their work addresses racial discrimination, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and refugee protection, leaving a profound and lasting impact on both individuals and communities. Their comprehensive pro bono practice spans individual case defense, support for civil society organizations, strategic litigation, and impactful partnerships with both national and international entities.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America**

Supporting Underserved Communities by Creating a Model for Success

BLOG: Allianz Life commits to pro bono through partnerships with nonprofits, such as Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, the Minnesota Elder Justice Center, and LegalCORPS. They offer critical legal services to underserved communities, including estate-planning assistance for low-income seniors, preparing health care directives, and offering legal advice for small businesses and nonprofits. The program not only provides essential support to vulnerable populations but also strengthens internal team cohesion at Allianz Life, fostering collaboration and engagement among employees.

Accenture**

Two Pro Bono Projects Expanding Legal Access

PODCAST: Accenture has been a leader in expanding legal access, with impactful projects like Disability:In and a name change pro bono initiative in Brazil with NGO Casa Florescer. These efforts highlight how in-house legal teams can structure and deliver different pro bono legal services, even within the same corporation.

Look for more Signatory Showcases in 2025!

* denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® signatory
** denotes a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® signatory
† denotes a Law Firm Pro Bono Project® member

Pro Bono Institute®, PBI®, Law Firm Pro Bono Project®and CPBO® are registered trademarks of Pro Bono Institute