The Law Firm Pro Bono Project is still accepting Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® reports for the 2013 calendar year.  Time is running out, so act quickly! We e-mailed customized survey links to Challenge Signatories in January, so contact Law Firm Pro Bono Project Assistant Eva Richardson if you have not received yours.  Please assist us in communicating the good news about the work of law firms to our colleagues in the legal profession and to the public with your submission of the electronic reporting form.  We also urge you to let us know about your firm’s accomplishments and news.

New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman delivered his annual State of the Judiciary speech this week, and in it, he reassured New Yorkers of his commitment to improve and enhance the justice system as it faces evolving challenges. Pro bono was once again a focal point of Chief Judge Lippman’s speech.  Building on the mandatory pro bono requirement for prospective attorneys that he implemented last year, he has proposed a new Pro Bono Scholars program, which would allow students to dedicate the final semester of their third year of law school to doing pro bono. Pro Bono Scholars will receive

Do you need examples of pro bono policies from firms similar to yours?  Could you use ethics guidance related to a pro bono matter?  Are you re-vamping your pro bono annual report and looking for models?  Visit the Law Firm Pro Bono Project’s Resource Clearinghouse for helpful research and publications. The Resource Clearinghouse is a one-stop destination for publications, best practices, model policies, and other materials related to law firm pro bono.  Browse and be inspired.  The growing catalog comprises PBI’s research and expert analysis with additional resources from trusted and verified sources.  Materials available include: • Original publications • Best practices

When presented with the opportunity to work on a project about which he felt passionately, former Pro Bono Institute summer intern John Treat jumped at the chance.  Like many families, his has been affected by autism.  It is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the U.S., currently affecting one in 88 children.  Families with an autistic member can encounter a multitude of legal challenges over the course of a lifetime, such as those related to education, the criminal justice system, guardianship/conservatorship, healthcare, insurance, housing, and more. Treat conducted original research and prepared a comprehensive report that documents the meaningful work

Another tie?  A gift card?  Choosing the perfect gift during the holiday season is always a challenge.  Fortunately, The PBEye is here to help once again.  Here are some antidotes to the runaway consumerism that can overwhelm us at this time of year. We recently reviewed Gideon’s Army, an access-to-justice-themed documentary that premiered on HBO this past summer and has been showing at film festivals across the country.  The film follows public defenders in the Deep South who are faced with staggering caseloads and insufficient resources as they struggle to provide effective representation to low-income defendants in a criminal justice