The PBEye imagines a world without discrimination and inequality, and are proud of the pro bono lawyers who work hard every day to achieve that vision.  Transgender people suffer persistent intolerance and experience prejudice and violence throughout their everyday life.  They experience workplace discrimination, are met with challenges to their parental relationships, lack sufficient access to quality healthcare free from discrimination, and face difficulties in obtaining appropriate name and gender designations on their identity documents.  The PBEye is gratified that many law firms have expanded their pro bono programs to advocate for and defend protections of transgender people under federal, state, and

No surprise here — we spend a lot of time thinking, writing, and talking about why lawyers, law firms, and legal departments do pro bono work!  We even concluded the 2012 Pro Bono Institute Annual Conference with a half-day workshop, Why Do Lawyers Volunteer?, during which renowned expert Dr. Larry Richard examined questions related to why lawyers choose to do pro bono work, and how the individual’s workplace influences—for better or worse—that decision. Until it recently came to our attention, one driver that we had not focused on is pro bono service performed as a result of professional disciplinary action. 

Is your law firm struggling with a culture that treats pro bono as exclusively “associate work”?  As we reported last week, it is critical to gain and maintain meaningful participation from partners.   Whether it is in a hands-on or supervisory role, partner participation demonstrates that pro bono is a vital part of the firm and ensures that pro bono clients receive high-quality service. Wondering how best to engage partners at your firm? We’ve got you covered!  Here are some additional helpful hints and best practices for achieving significant partner involvement and successfully addressing obstacles to partner participation: Visible and meaningful

A popular and well-attended session at last month’s 2012 Annual Conference was “Best Practices for Improving Partner Participation.”  Many law firms struggle with how to involve more partners in pro bono work.  The PBEye believes that it is critical to attain meaningful participation by partners — it broadens a firm’s pro bono capacity and helps ensure the long-term vitality of pro bono by sending a clear message that pro bono is an important and lasting firm value. Here are a few helpful hints and best approaches for achieving significant partner involvement and successfully addressing obstacles to partner participation: Perform diagnostics

People across the country and around the world will be watching closely when the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments tomorrow on the bitterly disputed immigration enforcement law that was passed two years ago in Arizona, inspiring similar laws in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah.  Arizona’s law, known as SB 1070, expanded the powers of state police officers to ask about the immigration status of anyone they stop and to detain those suspected of being illegal immigrants. The Obama administration challenged the law, and federal courts suspended several of its most contentious provisions.  Numerous firms, working pro bono, have