PBEye Blog - Page 53 of 67 - Pro Bono Institute

Lights, Camera, Action!

July 27, 2012

Looking for an innovative and engaging way to showcase your law firm’s commitment to pro bono? Consider creating a pro bono video! In recent years, many firms have chosen video as a medium for advertising and promoting their dedication to pro bono. Producing a successful video has many benefits. Videos not only allow firms to present their commitment to pro bono in a concise and effective manner but also provide them with the opportunity to display the character of their firm to the public. Moreover, videos have the power to inspire and motivate firm attorneys and other staff to contribute

VIDEO: Why Do Pro Bono? Pam Wandzel, Fredrikson & Byron P.A.

July 27, 2012

Pro bono gives the opportunity for everyone to help, attorneys and non-attorneys alike. This week, hear why pro bono is important from Pam Wandzel of Fredrikson & Byron P.A.* as she discusses why every lawyer and law firm staff should get involved. YouTube Link * denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

July 25, 2012

Formal in-house pro bono programs have undergone a vast transformation, evolving from a mere handful of programs 15 years ago into the hundreds of programs that define the field today. In fact, these programs have advanced so much that there are now cross-department acknowledgements of accomplishment. While it was not long ago that such a notion would have seemed impossible given the landscape of in-house pro bono, on July 17 the Chicago Bar Foundation and the Chicago Bar Association presented Steven S. Fus, assistant general counsel of alliances & legal administration for United Air Lines, Inc., a subsidiary of United

Criminal Justice Debt

July 20, 2012

The PBEye previously reported on the many barriers convicts face after being released from prison. In addition to the myriad obstacles including legal barriers such as lack of identification, suspension of driver’s license, child support payments, and problems receiving government benefits, many ex-offenders face the struggles of trying to pay a number of other fees. States charge numerous fees at every stage of criminal processing—fees for public defenders, jail fees, prison fees, court administrative fees, prosecution fees, probation fees, parole fees, etc. Many offenders struggle to make payments, resulting in them having to serve an additional prison sentence or other

More Ways to Combat Homelessness

July 11, 2012

Last month, The PBEye discussed two very important ways that in-house attorneys can use pro bono to help those experiencing homelessness. However, the opportunities to assist don’t end there. Counseling Nonprofits that Combat Homelessness or Assist Homeless Individuals Nonprofits, including those dedicated to combating homelessness or assisting homeless individuals have been severely impacted by the fragile economy and many are in desperate need of help. Without adequate resources many nonprofits are unable to afford counsel, yet going without could prove to be even more costly. In-house attorneys can aid these organizations with their legal needs, which consume time and finances that are better

VIDEO: Why Do Pro Bono? Andrea Bridgeman, Freddie Mac

July 10, 2012

We at The PBEye are proud of our friends and supporters who do pro bono, and we enjoy hearing that they get so much satisfaction out of helping those in need. This week hear from Andrea Bridgeman, associate general counsel from Freddie Mac*, about how rewarding pro bono can be. YouTube Link * denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono ChallengeSM

Law for America?

July 3, 2012

Last week we discussed results from a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey which suggests that bleak employment statistics haven’t deterred prospective law students from pursuing law degrees. The same survey found that 38 percent of entering law students hope to work in “Big Law” while only 10 percent of graduates actually enter those jobs upon graduation. These results echo the NALP Employment Report and Salary Survey for the Class of 2011, which found the overall employment rate for the class of 2011 to be 85.6 percent. For students who do ultimately work at large firms, we know that pro bono

Getting an Early Start

June 29, 2012

A recent article in National Law Journal cites a Kaplan Test Prep study which found that prospective law students are paying little attention to the grim employment statistics for recent law school graduates. Indeed, job placement ranked dead last among all factors presented to the 645 prospective law students surveyed. The most important factor in deciding which school to attend was a law school’s rank. This got us thinking about prospective law students and what role pro bono and other public interest opportunities play in their decision about where to attend law school. Many aspiring lawyers enter law school with

The Wheels on the Bus….

June 28, 2012

Pro bono clients, especially those in rural areas, often do not have the means to travel to a more populated city or town to receive legal assistance. Mobile clinics are becoming a popular way to reach out to remote and underserved clients in need of help. More than ten years ago the Winnebago of Justice was created in California, as a revival of the concept of a bookmobile, to be the nation’s first mobile legal self-help clinic. Here are a few examples of innovative models of mobile pro bono assistance: Nixon Peabody*† participated in a pro bono project through the

Many Approaches, One Great Cause

June 26, 2012

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimates that there are more than 3 million people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. These individuals face a wide array of barriers to housing, including legal issues, without the resources to pay for assistance. While these realities are disheartening, incredible work is being done by in-house attorneys to help overcome the obstacles many homeless individuals and families face. Attorneys can provide the homeless with a range of valuable legal services. Birth Certificates Numerous in-house legal departments, including Aetna Inc. **, Exelon Corporation**, Merck & Co., Inc.**, and The Pep Boys-Manny, Moe &