PBEye Blog - Page 62 of 65 - Pro Bono Institute

Pro Bono and Employee Engagement

June 16, 2011

Last Friday, our friends at Deloitte* celebrated their 12th annual IMPACT Day, a national day of service during which employees devote the day to volunteerism. More than 50,000 employees participated this year, volunteering at more than 800 events nationwide. Some of these volunteer projects were skills-based and allowed employees to use their business knowledge and expertise in order to help a good cause—in other words, they were pro bono projects. IMPACT Day encourages Deloitte employees to contribute to their communities, but the benefits don’t stop there. Each year, Deloitte conducts its IMPACT Survey to explore trends and issues in corporate philanthropy. Deloitte’s 2011

In the Windy City, Lawyers Give Back

June 13, 2011

Chicago in-house attorneys embodied the city’s old motto “I Will” on June 7, when they turned out in force to provide pro bono legal services to local nonprofit organizations during a Clinic in a BoxSM program, co-hosted by Corporate Pro Bono, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Navistar, and the Chicago Association of Corporate Counsel Chapter (ACC Chicago). 60 members of ACC Chicago provided legal assistance to 14 local nonprofit organizations. These organizations provide a broad range of services and serve a population of more than 42,800 low-income and under-served Chicagoans. CPBO’s off-the-shelf Clinic in a BoxSM model provides in-house attorneys

Environmental Pro Bono – Anacostia River Clean Up

June 9, 2011

DC Appleseed has released a report exposing the dismal, polluted conditions of the Anacostia River and urging the federal government to take a more active role in coordinating river cleanup. “A New Day for the Anacostia,” published in May 2011, calls on the president and Congress to fund Anacostia River cleanup programs and install pollution controls in the watershed. Pro bono attorneys from Covington & Burling LLP*, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP*, Patton Boggs LLP*, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP* assisted the DC Appleseed Anacostia Waterfront Initiative in researching and writing for this project. Click here to download a

Guest Blog: Social Media And Pro Bono

June 8, 2011

Considering my 20+ years of law practice, I might be an old fogey, but I’m also an “early adopter” – not a techie by any stretch, but I enjoy using new technologies. I’ve been on Facebook forever, and I’m closing in on 2000 Tweets. I first used social media for personal fun – keeping up with old friends, fomenting minor revolutions with political rantings, but began to realize how social media could be a powerful tool. Everybody needs a website – people tend not to be interested in any organization without one. When my firm got involved with the fabulous

Disaster Relief: Lawyers Pitching In

June 6, 2011

Mother Nature is wreaking havoc across the United States and around the world. Images of disaster-stricken towns and cities feature prominently and regularly in recent news programming. Naturally, these images of desperation ignite in all of us a desire to take action. Lawyers are no exception. In the wake of a seemingly endless string of floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes, lawyers are interested in providing pro bono assistance to the victims. And as always, The PBI can offer thoughts on the many ways for attorneys to lend a hand. Staffing Clinics and Hotlines Staffing clinics and hotlines are time-limited ways for lawyers to

Today Slovakia, Tomorrow the World!

June 3, 2011

The PBEye is pleased to report that pro bono is taking root around the world. This week Slovakia went pro bono in a big way with the launch of its national Pro Bono Advocacy program which links private practitioners with local nonprofits and provides free legal advice to NGOs. Administered by the Pontis Foundation with assistance from PILnet, the program has already harnessed the pro bono legal talent of a slew of Slovak law firms. Whereas some countries’ legal communities have not been as eager to embrace pro bono, this initiative has garnered broad national support, from the Slovak Bar Association, which hosted the inaugural event, to

Using Pro Bono to Grow Healthier Communities

June 2, 2011

Unhealthy eating habits and limited access to fresh food are an issue for many Americans. While numerous projects to improve availability of affordable, nutritious food are taking place around the country, The PBEye just learned of a new initiative in our capital’s inner city. D.C.’s Common Good City Farm (CGCF) is an urban farm committed to providing fresh food and nutrition education to nearby low-income residents. This May, Britain’s Prince Charles, a long-time supporter of sustainable food projects, paid a visit in recognition of CGCF’s good work and accomplishments! Ballard Spahr LLP* recently helped CGCF with land use and permitting

Summer Reading List: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

May 27, 2011

Looking for a pro bono-themed read for your vacation this weekend? Pack The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot in your beach bag. This best-selling novel tells the story of an impoverished black woman whose cancer cells were used to aid in lucrative medical discoveries after she died in 1950. Meanwhile Lacks’ surviving relatives were left poor, and unable to afford health insurance. Jonathan Chou, an associate and former molecular biologist, and partner, Ethan Skerry, both from Lowenstein Sandler PC*, set up the Henrietta Lacks Foundation and secured tax-exempt status for the author, Rebecca Skloot, in 2010. The foundation aims

Guest Blog: DLA Piper Associates Work in Guyana

May 26, 2011

The PBEye recently heard from a team of junior associates at DLA Piper* about their experiences doing pro bono in Guyana. Pro bono is a terrific way for associates and seasoned attorneys alike to gain skills and develop professionally. Here’s what our friends at DLA Piper, J. Hess, Nicole C. King, and Terry Smith, had to say: Attorneys involved with pro bono often share two common perspectives: a belief that we have an ethical obligation to provide pro bono services, and an understanding that pro bono offers unique opportunities to build valuable skills and broaden overall legal acumen. Junior associates, particularly those

Global Spotlight: International Child Abduction

May 25, 2011

According to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, last year nearly 2,000 children were internationally abducted to or from the United States by one of their own parents, in violation of the other parent’s rights: That’s 40 children taken from their homes and from their loved ones each week. Abductions traumatize children, their parents, friends, and family. International Parental Child Abduction is a painful scourge for so many, and it is something that deeply concerns me. Parental kidnapping compromises and destroys parent-child relationships, uproots and destabilizes children, and typically causes acute emotional distress to everybody involved. Today’s International Missing Children’s Day strikes us as an auspicious occasion