Aging Out, Pro Bono Steps In

In 2012, more than 23,000 children turned 18 and “aged out” of the foster care system in the U.S., according to federal statistics. Without parents or guardians for support, these children often face the usual challenges of growing up without parental advice or guidance. And unlike teenagers and young adults who gradually learn to deal with real-world challenges, these former foster care children are thrown into adulthood headfirst. The day they turn 18, they exit the system and must care for themselves – signing an apartment lease, applying for jobs, learning to cook, and graduating high school all on their

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Is Your Firm Camera-Ready? (Part Two)

Last week, The PBEye reported on ways that firms can use videos both internally and externally to showcase their commitment to pro bono and enhance their pro bono marketing efforts. These videos come in many varieties; some videos feature attorneys and staff discussing why they do pro bono and the broad range of the firm’s pro bono offerings, others go deep and focus on particular pro bono cases undertaken by the firm, and some spotlight pro bono clients, enabling them to tell their own stories and share their perspectives. We recently reviewed more than 80 pro bono videos, which had

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In Western-MA, MassMutual Leads

Headquartered in Springfield, Mass., and having a large satellite office in nearby Enfield, Conn., with a combined legal department composed of 56 attorneys and 80 non-lawyers, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company** (MassMutual) has the distinction of employing more lawyers than any other company or law firm in the greater Springfield area. As a result, when the legal department started to formalize its pro bono efforts in 2007, it did not have the option of working with a larger legal department or large firm with an existing pro bono program. Instead, MassMutual developed its own distinctive pro bono effort. Over the

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Professional Development for Pro Bono Leaders

Membership in the Law Firm Pro Bono Project offers unmatched pro bono professional development, training, and networking opportunities. At a time when changes are being implemented at law firms on what seems like a daily basis, it is more important than ever to stay on top of current industry trends and best practices. Members receive exclusive benefits that make it easier for their firms to administer successful law firm pro bono programs. These benefits include, among other things, 1/3 off registration fees to the PBI Annual Conference and free access to webinars and on-demand programming with PBI’s network of experts.

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Is Your Firm Camera-Ready? (Part One)

For law firms looking to spice up their pro bono marketing, videos can be an effective option. As we’ve previously reported, a video is an innovative and engaging way to promote your firm’s pro bono program and demonstrate your firm’s dedication to pro bono. Our friends at Faegre Baker Daniels*† have given us helpful guidance on how videos can strengthen both internal and external pro bono marketing efforts. Internally, firms can use a video to capture attention during presentations at firm annual meetings, as the nature of pro bono practice lends itself to video presentation more than other topics typically

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Welcome to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®

The Law Firm Pro Bono Project is pleased to announce two new additions to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®: Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz*† recently signed on to the Challenge and Stinson Leonard Street*†, the firm that resulted from the merger earlier this year of Leonard, Street and Deinard and Stinson Morrison Hecker, renewed their commitment to the Challenge. We are excited to welcome both of these firms, whose attorneys and staff have shown a strong dedication to pro bono work by providing a wide range of legal services to those in need. Since 1993, the Law Firm

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Video: Why Do Pro Bono? Bill Lienhard, Volunteers of Legal Service

Many attorneys remember their first time representing a client in court and how intimidating it was. Now imagine how intimidating it must be for clients who are forced to represent themselves without proper training and guidance. This week, we hear from Executive Director of Volunteers of Legal Service Bill Lienhard as he explains his personal experience as a new attorney and the importance of pro bono. YouTube Link

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Gearing Up for November

The 2014 midterm election is quickly approaching and the struggle to protect voting rights is ongoing. Since last year, when the U.S. Supreme Court weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act with its decision in Shelby County v. Holder, a number of states have moved forward with restrictive voter identification laws, laws impeding voter registration, cutbacks on early voting (which could exacerbate the problem of long lines on Election Day), and laws making it more difficult to restore voting rights to those with past criminal convictions. These restrictions create hurdles to the ballot box that disproportionately affect low-income, minority, college-age, and

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“Disruptive” Pro Bono?

With Independence Day behind us, we are officially on to the second half of 2014. The long summer days provide the perfect opportunity to pause and reflect on our accomplishments, our shortcomings, and our plans for the future. Recently, the notion of “disruption” has caught our eye, here at The PBEye. Clayton Christenson defines “disruptive innovations” as “innovations that transform products which . . . are complicated and expensive into things that are so affordable and accessible that a larger population of people has access to them.” Industry by industry (Uber! Twitter!), these disruptive innovations have flipped the status quo

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Television and Pro Bono: An Innovative Approach

How does one of the world’s premier entertainment brands engage its lawyers in pro bono?  It does what comes naturally and combines the medium of television with the unique skills of its legal department and production staff to make a difference to those in need around the globe. In 2006, Kenya adopted the Sexual Offences Act, designed to combat gender-based violence. For several years after its passage, implementation of the law proved difficult as the new rights and obligations were not well-understood.  To increase public awareness of gender-based violence and the implications of the new law, the legal department of Viacom International Media

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