PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project is currently updating What Counts? A Compilation of Questions and Answers, a guide of frequently asked questions and explanations of “what counts” as pro bono legal services for the purpose of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®.  Since its original publication in 2003 and its revision in 2008, we have continued to receive a steady flow of new inquiries. We will include answers to those questions in the upcoming version of What Counts to further fine-tune our guidance regarding the definition of pro bono legal services in a principled, clear, and consistent fashion. We

Recruiting season is once again in full swing! Many law students are looking to join firms where pro bono is an integral part of the firm’s culture. Every year we are honored to be able to promote our Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Signatories and their commitment to pro bono. Accordingly, the Law Firm Pro Bono Project is mailing its annual Challenge poster to the career services offices of all ABA-accredited law schools. The poster lists every Challenge Signatory and raises the visibility of these firms to make them more attractive to the very students they are trying to recruit. Challenge

Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Thousands of people participated in a week-long commemoration of the events of August 28, 1963, supporting King’s dream of racial harmony and the fight for justice and equality. Our vision of equality has broadened in scope to include all who face discrimination and economic hardship, such as people of color, women, immigrants, laborers, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT community. Despite much progress that has been made since 1963, persistent problems remain, especially

The end of summer is quickly approaching and the PBEye has one last pro bono-themed reading suggestion for this season.  In case you missed it, The National Law Journal featured an article by PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent about the intersection of current ethical rules and pro bono service. Do you think our ethics framework has kept pace with changes in law practice, access to justice, and pro bono service?  Read how, in our view, regulations that impede access to justice and roadblocks caused by outdated and impractical ethical rules, such as limitations on multijurisdictional practice, restrictive student practice

More than 60 firms have already become Law Firm Pro Bono Project Members for 2013-2014. Submit your Membership Invoice before September 1 to receive a 10% discount. Registration is quick and easy! As a Member Firm, you will have access to resources to help ensure the health and vitality of your pro bono program, such as expert consulting services; discounted registration to the PBI Annual Conference; free publications, webinars, and podcasts; exclusive conference calls on hot topics in law firm pro bono; assistance from CPBO; and access to the Project’s Members-only section of the Resource Clearinghouse on the PBI website.

As widespread federal spending cuts known as sequestration continue to impact various government agencies, leading to, among other things, furloughs and closures, we can expect to see particularly dire consequences for our courts and the administration of justice. The PBEye recently reported that our criminal justice system is in jeopardy, and the sharp budget reductions for Federal Defender programs have even further threatened legal services for the poor. For example, sequestration has led to furloughs and layoffs of public defenders across the country, which reduces case loads and causes trial delays, diminishing the overall quality of legal representation. Cases that