PBEye Blog - Pro Bono Institute

Creating Sustainable and Impactful Partnerships in Pro Bono

March 30, 2026

By Jennifer Pei, PBI Intern In honor of the 30th Anniversary of Pro Bono Institute (PBI) and the 20th Anniversary of the Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Challenge® Initiative, the PBEye blog reflected on long-standing in-house pro bono projects and partnerships throughout our history. The longevity of these partnerships demonstrates how sustainable approaches and best practices can significantly extend the impact of pro bono work. Through consultation, resources, Annual Conference programming, and annual awards, PBI advances the development of sustainable pro bono projects and celebrates their long-term success. The CPBO Partner Award Every year, the PBI and its CPBO project honor

Connecting Expertise to Impact: Expert Support for Legal Services Organizations

March 26, 2026

By Erin Palmer, Associate Director, Corporate Pro Bono At the Pro Bono Institute 2026 Pre-Conference, Maximizing Access, Maximizing Justice: Expanding Pro Bono Beyond Traditional Limits, one session focused on a critical and often underutilized resource for legal services organizations: expert support. The session, Pro Bono for Institutional Resilience: Leveraging Expert Support to Build Stronger Legal Services Organizations, explored not just why expert support matters, but what it looks like in practice, how organizations can use it, and how to access it. At its core, the conversation was grounded in a simple reality: legal services and public interest organizations are being

Climate and Law: Supporting Nonprofits for Change

March 25, 2026

By Jennifer Pei, PBI intern Change can happen at all levels of society – from countries to civil society, and even to individuals. To address the ongoing climate crisis, nonprofit organizations are key actors that are taking action. Individuals can participate in climate activism in many ways, and the legal sector has unique skills to contribute. Pro bono legal aid is invaluable in supporting nonprofit organizations that work on environmental law and climate. This form of pro bono aid weaves environmental objectives and personal values. How to Get Involved Whether you are a litigator or a transactional attorney, there are

Still Reflecting: Lessons from PBI’s 2026 Annual Conference

March 13, 2026

By Eve Runyon, PBI President & CEO One week later, I’m still thinking about the ideas, conversations, and moments that shaped PBI’s 2026 Annual Conference. Across sessions, side conversations, and the times in between, I had the privilege of hearing from and engaging with so many dedicated professionals who are deeply committed to pro bono and access to justice. There is far too much to capture in a single post, but several themes have stayed with me, and I want to share them. The Commitment Endures In the face of real challenges and constraints, pro bono is not retreating —

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