PBEye Blog - Pro Bono Institute

Why Pro Bono Must Keep Evolving

March 3, 2026

By Eve Runyon, PBI President & CEO As I head into the PBI 2026 Annual Conference this week, I find myself reflecting on how pro bono and access to justice work have changed over the past decade and a half and what those changes demand of us now. Having attended the Conference for more than 15 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to both meaningful progress and persistent challenges. Those experiences shape some key thoughts leading into the Conference. Most importantly, pro bono is needed now more than ever. Over the past 15 years, the access to justice gap has

District of Columbia to Establish Community Justice Worker Programs After Approval From Court of Appeals

February 24, 2026

By Jennifer Pei, PBI Intern On February 5, 2026, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals filed a court order, authorizing the establishment of a Community Justice Worker (CJW) framework in D.C. This order opens the door to increased innovation in efforts to reduce the justice gap. The Legal Services Corporation reports 92% of Americans do not receive sufficient legal help for their civil issues. By performing certain duties previously limited to legal professionals, CJWs can increase access to legal aid for low-income communities. What are Community Justice Workers? CJWs are not lawyers. Instead, they are community members who volunteer

AI and Technology Help Bridge Access to Justice

February 6, 2026

By Andrew Braun, PBI Intern Pro bono and legal aid initiatives continue leveraging technology to provide and enhance crucial services. From expanding access to legal resources, to streamlining administrative tasks, lawyers are exploring technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to transform impactful pro bono and legal aid work to serve more clients. Fostering innovation in these technologies remains integral for organizations working to bridge justice access gaps. The access-to-justice field continues committing resources toward understanding the strengths and limitations of technologies like AI and discussing how to bring underserved clients greater access to legal help. AI has been championed for its

Zuckerman Spaeder: Protecting Food Security for D.C. Families

February 5, 2026

In late 2023, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP* partnered with Legal Aid DC to protect a critical lifeline for tens of thousands of low-income D.C. residents. After the D.C. Council passed — and the Mayor signed — a law directing excess city revenue toward increased Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the Administration later announced it would not distribute the mandated funds. Legal Aid DC urged compliance, and when the Administration continued to withhold the benefits, the organization worked with Zuckerman Spaeder to prepare emergency litigation. On the eve of filing, after being notified that a motion for immediate injunctive relief was

Partnering for Prison Justice: How Equal Justice Initiative Fights for Civil Rights

February 3, 2026

By Jennifer Pei, PBI Intern In 2025, almost two million people were detained in either state or federal prisons across the United States. The criminal justice system cost approximately $182 billion across the federal, state, and local levels. “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”1 The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is a civil rights nonprofit organization based in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1989, EJI serves communities that have been systemically marginalized due to poverty and racial injustices. Its founder, bestselling author and public interest attorney, Bryan Stevenson, began EJI as part of his work as

A Global Snapshot: Developing Pro Bono in Italy

January 14, 2026

By Christiana Teodoro, PBI Intern Pro bono is now considered a crucial part of modern legal practice in many countries. Currently, Pro Bono Institute and Latham & Watkins are tracking global pro bono efforts in more than 85 jurisdictions, showing the growing scope of free legal aid. In Italy, the lack of a legal mandate or formal framework for pro bono work has contributed to limited development within the legal community. However, in recent years, organizations, including the association Pro Bono Italia and PILnet, a non-governmental organization aimed at facilitating pro bono services by connecting civil society organizations, have helped

Strengthening Families, One Clinic at a Time

December 22, 2025

By Jovana Fitzgerald, PBI Law Clerk Partners in Minnesota are taking an integrated approach to serving those in need. In November 2025, the Minnesota Collaborative Justice Project, in partnership with Faegre Drinker*†, Adult Representation Services, Volunteer Lawyer’s Network, Bellis, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections hosted its third clinic at Shakopee Women’s Correctional Facility. The program was attended by 14 residents, and featured an educational session, conversations with a Juvenile Court Judge, and one-on-one brief advice sessions with an attorney. Parenting from Prison The Sentencing Project, a nonprofit that conducts research and advocacy for sentencing reform, reports sobering statistics about

Fernandez v. United States: The Future of Compassionate Release – and the Growing Role of Pro Bono

December 19, 2025

By Christiana Teodoro, PBI Intern In Fernandez v. United States, No. 24-556, the United States Supreme Court will resolve a circuit split as to whether there are limitations on what factors a federal judge may consider when granting a sentence reduction for “extraordinary and compelling reasons” under the statute governing compassionate release, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A). In this case, Joe Fernandez was convicted for involvement in a murder-for-hire crime. Fernandez was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence on a murder conspiracy charge and to a consecutive life sentence on a firearm charge. Later, the same trial judge expressed “disquiet” about the

Comcast: Planning with Dignity

December 16, 2025

Each January around MLK Day, the Comcast** legal department joins with SeniorLAW Center and Blank Rome to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a hands-on “Day of Service” life-planning clinic for older Philadelphians. This event succeeds because of the close partnership and shared commitment of all three organizations: SeniorLAW Center, Blank Rome, and Comcast. The partners serve the clients of SeniorLAW Center, a nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1978 that champions justice for older people through the power of the law, education, and advocacy on local, state, and national levels, focusing on those in greatest economic and social

Celebrating 20 Years of the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge Initiative

December 11, 2025

By Alyssa Saunders, Director Corporate Pro Bono In 2026, the Pro Bono Institute Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Challenge® initiative will celebrate its 20th anniversary alongside PBI’s 30 years of advancing access to justice. These milestones are an opportunity to celebrate the growth of in-house pro bono over the years and challenge more legal departments to participate in delivering pro bono legal services to those in need. Background on the Challenge and In-House Pro Bono In 2000, PBI founded the CPBO project to develop and transform in-house pro bono. Since then, the CPBO project has worked with more than one thousand