PBEye Blog - Page 16 of 67 - Pro Bono Institute

Justice for Juveniles Serving Life without Parole

December 7, 2017

In January 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that its 2012 decision banning mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles must be applied retroactively, granting new chances at release for hundreds of inmates serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed in their youth. The opinion indicated that life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders should be exceedingly rare and gave states two options: resentencing the affected prisoners or making them eligible for parole. At the time of the decision, there were more than 2,500 people (concentrated in California, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania) serving sentences of life without parole

CPBO’s Clinic in a Box® Program Tackles Social Media Policies for Nonprofits

November 16, 2017

In October, CPBO co-hosted a Clinic in a Box® Program in partnership with the Association of Corporate Counsel National Capital Region, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, and Womble Carlyle*† at the 2017 Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Annual Meeting. Every Clinic in a Box® Program – Select Topic introduces and trains volunteers on an issue of importance to nonprofits before pairing them with nonprofits to provide legal advice. This clinic took a deep dive into social media policies and online marketing compliance, subjects that concern many nonprofits and employers in general. For example, in a recent and especially high-profile case, Juli Briskman was fired

Want to Be Happy At Work?

November 16, 2017

We spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about why lawyers, law firms, and legal departments should do pro bono work. In case you need yet another reason, check out Being Happy at Work Matters, a Harvard Business Review article that combats the myth that you don’t have to be happy at work to succeed. “Happy people are better workers.” “Those who are engaged with their jobs and colleagues work harder – and smarter.” Research shows that to be happy and engaged at work, people need: (1) a meaningful vision of the future; (2) a sense of purpose;

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Jacqui MacLennan & Lou O’Neill

November 13, 2017

This week, Jacquelyn MacLennan and Louis O’Neill of White & Case*† join PBI on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour, to discuss leading the firm’s global practice group and using a “closed feedback loop” to keep pro bono lawyers informed about the impact of their work and inspire others to join them. Lou and Jacqui share management tips and describe examples of meaningful pro bono projects, such as debt-for-nature swaps and advocacy efforts to promote education and women’s rights. White & Case recently hosted a unique gathering in New York City in connection with

Lawyers Read: Refugee by Alan Gratz

November 9, 2017

Need a new book to curl up with as the temperature drops? Looking for effective ways to communicate the impact of your pro bono work and the backgrounds of some of your clients? Check out Refugee by Alan Gratz, which tells the story of three different children, living on different continents, spanning decades of time. Although the characters of this novel are from completely separate worlds, they have “one mission in common: ESCAPE.” Gratz weaves the tales of Josef, a Jewish boy living in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Isabel, a Cuban girl experiencing riots and unrest in 1994, and

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Andrew LeGrand

November 6, 2017

This week, Andrew LeGrand of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher*† joins PBI on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour, to share his views on empowering self-represented litigants and supporting “civil Gideon” for litigants facing more complex matters. He is inspired by the leaders of the civil rights movement and sees the law as the “most potent mechanism to affect social change.” Tapping into his network from his time as a clerk, Andrew helped build an informal pro bono appellate program at the firm with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Take 40

We Have a New Look and New Address!

November 2, 2017

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy This week we released our new brand identity including a new logo for Pro Bono Institute (PBI), Law Firm Pro Bono Project, and Corporate Pro Bono, a global partnership project of PBI and Association of Corporate Counsel. Our new look reflects our bold, innovative mission and the past 20 years of transforming the pro bono landscape with you. You’ll see the new branding on our correspondence, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn pages.

It’s Pro Bono Podcast Monday: A Conversation with Amy Barasch

October 30, 2017

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this week on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour, we are joined by Amy Barasch of Her Justice. Amy describes their “pro bono first” model; how Her Justice provides specialized support to pro bono attorneys; and the challenges faced by women who experience intimate partner violence, including issues related to divorce, immigration, and poverty. She also discusses Her Justice’s externship program with law firms and how one extern established an important precedent. Take 40 minutes to listen to our conversation with Amy Barasch about the crucial role

The Year of the Law Firm Merger

October 26, 2017

According to every indication, 2017 is poised to be a record year for law firm mergers. Altman Weil’s MergerLine reports that the end of the third quarter of this year, there have already been 76 deals. This pace signals that the 2015 record of 91 deals is likely to be broken and experts predict that there could be more than 100 combinations this year. Mergers involve many complicated and moving pieces (compensation policies; client conflicts issues; leadership and administrative reorganization and consolidation; etc.) and can create anxiety and tension. Pro bono, however, can be an effective piece of a larger

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

October 23, 2017

Mary Gay Scanlon of Ballard Spahr*† joins PBI on the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s podcast, the Pro Bono Happy Hour, to explore how she connects lawyers with pro bono opportunities tailored to their interests, motivates attorneys with a sticker incentive program and alerts, and how the firm’s upcoming merger with Lindquist & Vennum will reinforce both firms’ strong commitments to pro bono. Mary Gay also discusses the increase in immigration-related pro bono since January, pro bono efforts to promote access to nutritious food, broadcasting leadership’s pro bono work throughout the firm, and cultivating a mindfulness practice to reduce stress.