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Dear Pro Bono and Access to Justice Leaders:
PBI is proud of all that we’ve accomplished in 2025 to continue addressing the needs of underserved populations and implementing innovative and effective ways to expand access to justice.
2026 marks a banner year for PBI, when we will celebrate our 30th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® initiative. These milestones would not be possible without the dedication of our community, and we invite you to celebrate with us through special programming at the PBI Annual Conference and Annual Dinner.
With new and recurring challenges ahead, PBI stands ready to support you. Here are a few ways to stay connected and advance your pro bono program:
We are pleased to share a collection of PBI 2025 highlights focused on convening, measuring, impacting, and educating on pro bono and access to justice. Our hope is that these resources and stories of pro bono will inform and inspire you as we move into 2026. We look forward to another year of driving access to justice.
Thank you and enjoy!
Eve Runyon
President & CEO
March 4-6, 2026
The Westin Washington, D.C., Downtown
On February 26-28, PBI hosted its 2025 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The Conference and AI + Pro Bono Pre-Conference were held in-person, with two additional LIVE webinars for Conference registrants presented prior to the in-person programming. More than 250 pro bono leaders from law firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations convened to learn about innovative, strategic ways to further the impact and reach of pro bono legal services. PBI also presented the 2025 Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award to Entergy Corporation** and Marcus V. Brown, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (below, center, right), as well as the 2025 Chesterfield Smith Award to James L. Volling, Senior Counsel, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP*† (below, center, left).
AI + Pro Bono Pre-Conference
In 2025, PBI hosted the second AI + Pro Bono Pre-Conference, which convened pro bono and access to justice leaders from law firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations to examine the use of AI in legal practice and determine opportunities to support, advance, and enhance pro bono and access to justice.
Throughout the Conference, various sessions addressed the rise of generative AI; how it is and can be used by law firms, legal departments, and public interest organizations to increase efficiencies in both the administration of pro bono programs and the delivery of pro bono legal services; and the ethics and responsible use of AI.
ON-DEMAND PROGRAMS – Select sessions recorded at the PBI 2025 Annual Conference were made available on-demand to Conference attendees and Law Firm Pro Bono Project Members via the Practising Law Institute. Please contact PBI staff for access information.
A Celebration of Exceptional Pro Bono Achievements
The PBI 2025 Annual Dinner featured an evening of celebration, networking, and inspiration at New York’s iconic Gotham Hall on October 27. The Dinner was hosted by Co-Chairs James L. Chosy, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, U.S. Bank (below, center, right), and Ivan Fong, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary (retired), Medtronic (below, center, left), whose leadership helped make the night a success. The night concluded with a call-to-action around the future of pro bono from James J. Sandman, PBI Board Member, Distinguished Lecturer, Penn Carey Law (below, left, far right).
View the Annual Dinner Program
View the Annual Dinner Photo Gallery
The CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award recognizes innovative pro bono collaborations of in-house legal departments with law firms and public interest organizations.
Koch Pro Bono Initiative**
in partnership with
Baker Botts L.L.P.*† and Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
Learn more about their partnership to help those facing driver’s license suspensions in St. James Parish, Louisiana in this profile and video.
The Annual Dinner also celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Initiative with reflections from Anjan Sahni, Managing Partner, WilmerHale*† (below, left) and Lisa Dewey, Pro Bono Partner, DLA Piper*† (below, right, left), and Sue Finegan, Member, Chair, Pro Bono Committee, Mintz*† (below, right, right).
Watch this video featuring legal leaders throughout the 30-year history of the PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative reflecting on the importance of institutional commitments to pro bono.
The Law Firm Pro Bono Project released its 2025 Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Report based on 2024 data from reporting law firm Challenge signatories. The 2025 Challenge Report arrived during the 30th anniversary of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge initiative and at a time when law firm pro bono faces unique challenges.
There are some positive indicators that certain pro bono metrics may trend back up, emerging from their pandemic-era lows in 2021. In 2024, 114 reporting firms contributed about 4.93 million hours of pro bono service. This represents a stronger performance, on average, compared to pro bono hours in 2023 when 120 firms reported about 5.1 million hours. The 2024 data also reflects a modest 1.6% increase in pro bono hours per attorney, up from 54.7 hours in 2023 to 55.6 hours in 2024, with six fewer firms reporting. However, other key metrics have remained stable or have slightly declined. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge signatories will soon be receiving their annual survey questionnaires for the calendar year 2025. We are asking all signatories to complete the survey! Interested in your firm becoming a Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge signatory? Find out how.
The Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) project released its 2025 Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® Report: In-House Pro Bono by the Numbers, which benchmarks pro bono performance by reporting Challenge signatories in 2024.
The 2025 Challenge Report provides valuable insights into the complex pro bono landscape and highlights pro bono trends across a sample of in-house legal departments. While average pro bono participation rates declined slightly in 2024 compared to 2023, many departments maintained or increased their pro bono engagement. The Report also features year-over-year analysis for signatories which have responded to consecutive CPBO Challenge surveys. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
Challenge signatories will soon be receiving their annual survey questionnaires for the calendar year 2025. We are asking all signatories to complete the survey! Interested in your legal department becoming a CPBO Pro Bono Challenge signatory? Find out how.
Virtual Credit Repair Clinics, piloted by PBI in partnership with Moore & Van Allen†, Rutan & Tucker†, Alliance to Lead Impact in Global Human Trafficking (ALIGHT), Atlas Free, and the National Survivor Law (NSL) Collective, engaged more than 100 volunteers from 15 law firms and legal departments to serve 30 trafficking survivors nationally in fall 2025. READ MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIS WORK.
Please reach out to PBI staff if you are interested in co-hosting or participating in future Virtual Credit Repair Clinics.
2025 marked the sixth annual Financial Institution Pro Bono Day®(FIPBD®) event, led by PBI’s CPBO project in collaboration with 41 legal departments from the financial and insurance sectors. More than 1,100 financial and insurance company volunteers and their partners from law firms and legal services organizations participated in 70 pro bono service and training opportunities as part of the FIPBD event. READ MORE ABOUT THE FULL IMPACT.
The 2026 FIPBD event will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Contact CPBO staff to host or join an event.
The fourth Annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day took place on November 13, bringing together energy and utility companies across the U.S. and abroad for an industry-wide day of pro bono service. Led by CPBO project, EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day highlights the collective impact of the energy and utility industries in expanding access to justice. This year, 13 energy and utility companies participated in more than 20 events for EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day 2025. READ MORE ABOUT THE FULL IMPACT.
Stay tuned for more information on timing and participation for EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day 2026!
2025 marked the pilot launch of the PBI ExpertConnect Pro Bono Hub, which connects public interest organizations, law firms, and legal departments working on pro bono matters with top-tier expert service providers, including economists, e-discovery professionals, forensic accountants, and more – at no cost – to boost capacity and enhance pro bono. Thank you to our inaugural group of ExpertConnect providers: Charles River Associates, Relativity, Insight Economics, and StoneTurn.
In 2026, The ExpertConnect Hub will continue to connect pro bono legal teams with FREE expert services support. LEARN MORE AND SUBMIT A REQUEST HERE.
PBI continues to produce publications and resource guides to support pro bono efforts by law firms and in-house legal departments and inform pro bono and access to justice leaders. In 2025, these resources included:
Stay up to date on topics related to pro bono and access to justice, subscribe to the PBEye blog today!
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.
Quarles & Brady LLP*†
The Transformative Impact of the Transgender Name Change Project
BLOG POST: 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. The Project reduces barriers to essential resources, fosters inclusivity, and provides accurate identification for participants. Despite challenges like client fears of discrimination, this initiative demonstrates the impact of pro bono advocacy and emphasizes the importance of partnerships, education, and commitment to systemic change.
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP*†
Righting the Wrong: The Power of Pro Bono
PODCAST: Kramer Levin’s commitment to justice is powerfully exemplified in its pro bono work to overturn the wrongful conviction of Anthony Hall, who spent 26 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Through relentless legal advocacy, strategic litigation, and an impactful partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, the firm fought to expose critical flaws in the case — from unreliable eyewitness testimony to systemic issues within the criminal justice system. Their unwavering dedication not only helped secure Mr. Hall’s freedom but also underscored the transformative power of pro bono work in changing lives and addressing injustice.
Stinson LLP*
Resilience and Representation: A Legal Path Forward for Asylum Seekers
BLOG POST: Responding to a growing humanitarian need, Stinson LLP launched a pro se asylum project through its longstanding Deinard Legal Clinic at the Community University Health Care Center, the nation’s oldest firm-led medical legal partnership. Sparked by a surge in West African asylum seekers — primarily from Guinea and Liberia — the initiative provides critical legal support for individuals with strong asylum claims but limited representation options. Volunteers have supported over 100 clients, working with interpreters and trauma-informed practices to navigate sensitive legal issues, including cases involving gender-based violence and family separation. The firm also co-authored a report to the United Nations spotlighting human rights abuses in Guinea. While emotionally demanding and resource-intensive, the project exemplifies responsive, community-driven pro bono work and highlights the transformative power of legal advocacy and collaboration.
KPMG LLP**
Empowering Veterans: KPMG LLP Aligns Business, Culture, and Community
BLOG POST: KPMG LLP recently partnered with the National Veterans Legal Services Program and outside counsel to support veterans seeking discharge upgrades through the Lawyers Serving Warriors program. The pro bono legal clinic empowered KPMG volunteers to help veterans address records that impact their benefits, job prospects, and dignity. After comprehensive training on discharge upgrade standards, volunteers conducted virtual interviews, gathered key documentation, and submitted case memoranda for NVLSP’s review. This initiative highlights KPMG’s commitment to veterans and to impactful, community-centered pro bono work across its Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance teams.
Foster Garvey PC*
Correcting the Record
BLOG POST: Foster Garvey PC has been a partner of the Seattle Clemency Project (SCP) since its founding in 2017, helping individuals seeking early release and those facing deportation due to old criminal convictions pursue clemency, resentencing, or other forms of release from sentences imposed under outdated or excessively harsh laws. Through this partnership, Foster Garvey has helped secure freedom for clients who have demonstrated transformation and rehabilitation, while contributing to SCP’s broader impact: 126 people released, more than 1,400 years of incarceration saved, and dozens of immigrants spared deportation. This work highlights the firm’s deep commitment to advancing justice, restoring dignity, and building community through pro bono service.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe*†
Holding Power Accountable
BLOG POST: Since 2021, Orrick has partnered with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to challenge the Baltimore Police Department’s unlawful seizure of property from gun violence survivors without a warrant or consent. In August 2024, Orrick reached a class action settlement resulting in major policy reforms, improved oversight, and a formal process for returning victims’ belongings. Their team also overcame qualified immunity defenses, which marked a rare but important step toward police accountability. This case reinforces the power of pro bono work to drive systemic change and protect civil rights.
Corebridge Financial**
From Courtrooms to Forever Homes
PODCAST: Corebridge Financial partners with the Alliance for Children’s Rights in Southern California to help children in foster care find permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship. Through this initiative, Corebridge attorneys and paralegals prepare adoption documents and represent families in court, ensuring adoptions are finalized on National Adoption Days. Their work has brought joy to countless families, strengthened collaboration across legal and compliance teams, and provided critical support to children navigating difficult transitions. This effort underscores how pro bono service can transform lives, build community, and create lasting impact one family at a time.
Comcast**
Planning with Dignity: MLK Day Life Planning Clinics for Older Philadelphians
BLOG POST: Each January around MLK Day, the Comcast legal department joins with SeniorLAW Center and Blank Rome to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through a hands-on “Day of Service” life-planning clinic for older Philadelphians. The partners serve the clients of SeniorLAW Center, a nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1978 that champions justice for older people through the power of the law, education, and advocacy on local, state, and national levels, focusing on those in greatest economic and social need. Together, they prepare and execute simple wills, living wills, and healthcare and financial powers of attorney — critical documents that protect autonomy and reduce vulnerability to exploitation.
Look for more Signatory Showcases in 2026!
* 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
