Virginia Is Making Pro Bono Cool!

The Virginia Supreme Court hosted its 5th Biennial Chief Justice’s Pro Bono Summit on April 4 in Richmond, Virginia. Chief Justice Donald Lemons welcomed approximately 100 attendees to the Court to share pro bono initiatives The Commonwealth is spearheading to further develop a culture of pro bono. Pro Bono Institute President and CEO Eve Runyon and Corporate Pro Bono Director Tammy Sun attended the event and were energized by the great efforts organized by all sectors of the Virginia Bar. The Virginia Supreme Court hosted its first Pro Bono Summit in 2010 with a call to “make pro bono cool.” Since then, Virginia has launched

Read More »

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Kate Nolen

This week on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast, we talk with Kate Nolen of Lathrop Gage†. A die-hard fan of Mizzou, which she attended for undergrad and law school, Kate was introduced to pro bono through her sorority volunteer program with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). She also participated in domestic violence and housing clinics while a law student. Kate went on to work for CASA in Kansas City and saw first-hand how under resourced public service organizations can be. In response and in addition to her regular duties, she started recruiting volunteer attorneys

Read More »

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Michelle Movahed

This week we talk with Michelle Movahed of McCarter & English*† on the Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast. She shares her schooling and career journey from participating in housing rights clinics at Fordham Law School to helping families recover from natural disasters in Brooklyn and expanding women’s rights to healthcare at public interest organizations to taking her talents to Big Law at McCarter & English. Her biggest takeaway from her transition from working as a social justice lawyer to working for a well-resourced law firm? “Nobody has said ‘no’ to me.” “People not only say ‘yes,’ but they come and

Read More »

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Scott Hunt

This week on the Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast, we talk with Scott Hunt of Armstrong Teasdale*† about his career, the firm’s pro bono program, inspiring the next generation, food deserts, and more. As a tax lawyer, Scott shares how non-litigators can actively participate in pro bono work and serve people in need. Scott serves on an amazing nine nonprofit boards and his areas of interest are diverse. One of the organizations he supports is The Link Market, an innovative model of modular grocery stores that are located along St. Louis’ light rail system to offer high-quality and affordable food.

Read More »

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Mary Benton

Mary Benton of Alston & Bird*† joins us this week the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour, to discuss the firm’s proud pro bono history and exciting current projects. One of the firm’s founders – Phillip Alston – was a signatory to the resolution that created the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Mary shared tips on how she boosts participation by recognizing and publicly acknowledging attorneys for their pro bono work. She and her team actively look for ways to thank people, including nominating them for awards presented by legal services organizations and other volunteer recognition

Read More »

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Karen Grisez

Karen Grisez of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson*† is our guest this week on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour. Karen, a pro bono legend, shares her career journey from legal secretary to paralegal to lawyer. She joined Fried Frank because of its staff diversity and support for pro bono matters. The firm has long been invested in making pro bono part of the firm culture – it was the third firm in Washington, DC to create a full-time Public Service Counsel position. Karen accepted that role in 1996, and still holds it

Read More »

Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Reporting Is Now Open

Reporting season for the 20177 calendar year is now open. We have emailed unique survey links to all Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® signatories, so be sure to check your spam filter if you did not receive yours. The deadline for reporting is March 22. Each year, Challenge Signatories provide a brief, electronic report to the Law Firm Pro Bono Project on their progress in meeting the Challenge. The individual firm data is kept confidential, but each submission provides the basis for critically important aggregate statistics about trends in law firm pro bono. In 2016, Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® signatories contributed: Approximately 4.7 million

Read More »

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: Eye of the Storm

Native Houstonian and podcast all-star Ellyn Josef of Vinson & Elkins* joins us this week on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour, to share her experience and discuss pro bono efforts around Hurricane Harvey. Ellyn describes how the pro bono community prepared for the storm, the importance of collaboration with other firms and legal aid organizations during a crisis, and how the technology they utilized to organize airport lawyering to address the Muslim travel ban was applied to their response to the hurricane. Spend 25 minutes and hear about Ellyn’s compelling experiences during one

Read More »

Gifts that Give Back

Happy Holidays from all of us at The PBEye! Choosing the perfect gift during the holiday season can be a challenge. Fortunately, we are here to help with even more of our favorite gift ideas that also give back. Need a gift for your favorite runner or yogi? Check out Love Bottle. For every bottle purchased, the company donates 5% of every purchase to Global Water, a nonprofit dedicated to making safe drinking water accessible. As the weather gets colder, winter accessories are a great gift. Love Your Melon offers stylish hats but the company also donates 50% of all

Read More »

Spark for Change: Eisai’s Legal Department Prepares End of Life Documents for Cancer Patients

A sign at Eisai “Human health care” (hhc) is an integral part of the corporate philosophy of Eisai Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese pharmaceutical company. Employees are encouraged to “give [their] first thoughts to patients and their families and helping to increase the benefits health care provides.”  This mission drives Eisai’s commercial as well as community service efforts; and as of 2015, its legal department’s pro bono efforts as well. On November 8, the Eisai legal department joined with co-hosts CPBO, Drescher & Cheslow, McCarter & English*†, and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice to host its third Clinic in a Box®

Read More »