PBEye Blog - Pro Bono Institute

Law Firm and Access to Justice Commission Join to Advance New Legal Advocate Model in Wisconsin

November 2, 2026

By Grace Taylor, PBI Intern Wisconsin is the latest state to consider authorizing Community Justice Workers (CJWs), called “legal advocates” under a proposed rule before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In September 2026, the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission and Quarles & Brady*† filed Rule Petition 26-04, which would create a pathway for trained, nonlawyer professionals to provide limited civil legal services under attorney supervision. The proposal seeks to address persistent gaps in access to civil legal assistance, particularly for low-income and rural Wisconsin residents. What are Community Justice Workers? CJWs are nonlegal professionals who attend training to develop the skills

The Equitable Path to the Ballot: How Pro Bono Lawyers Can Assist in the Upcoming Midterms

October 28, 2026

By Donovan Mathews, PBI Intern Jens Stoltenberg, Former Secretary of General of NATO, once stated that “by voting, we add our voice to the chorus that forms opinions and the basis for actions.” With those inspiring words in mind, pro bono lawyers can protect voting rights this fall. As midterm elections take place in polling locations across the United States, the rights of millions are at stake, and a vote holds the power to affect critical aspects of their livelihood. Pro bono attorneys are a vital resource in protecting the voting rights of those in underrepresented and marginalized communities. In

2026 Pro Bono Week Preview

October 13, 2026

By Donovan Mathews, PBI Intern Access to legal assistance is at the forefront of the American justice system. Despite this, in America’s semiquincentennial, millions of people across the country live in communities where legal representation is scarce and out of reach, or beyond the scope of their financial means. With the continuing rise of legal costs, many people are seeking help from volunteer legal professionals. The 2022 Justice Gap report reveals that 74% of low-income households experienced at least one civil legal problem in the previous year. Additionally, low-income Americans did not receive any or enough legal help for 92%

Your On-Call Experts for In-House Pro Bono

September 24, 2026

By Alyssa Saunders, Director, Corporate Pro Bono At all stages of your pro bono program, the Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) project of PBI is here to help with confidential technical assistance, templates, and other helpful resources so you never have to start from scratch or expand your pro bono efforts alone. Since PBI launched the CPBO project in 2000, the project has been the premiere resource for legal departments interested in starting or enhancing their pro bono programs. The CPBO team have experience consulting with GCs and CLOs, in-house counsel, legal operations teams, paralegals, community service and social impact teams,

Community Justice Worker Update in Texas

September 1, 2026

By Erica Norris, PBI intern The PBEye has been reporting on recent developments as jurisdictions authorize Community Justice Workers (CJWs) to address specific access to justice issues. Our latest blog series focuses on the implementation of CJW programs in three jurisdictions: Alaska, Delaware, and Texas. Although Texas has not yet authorized the licensing structure that would allow CJWs to provide legal services, the Economic Justice Initiative (EJI), an initiative of the Texas Immigration Law Council, is already developing a framework in preparation for a future licensing system. Once Texas authorizes CJWs to provide legal services, EJI plans to build on

Community Justice Workers Assist in Landlord-Tenant Cases in Delaware

August 27, 2026

By Erica Norris, PBI Intern The PBEye has been reporting on recent developments as jurisdictions authorize Community Justice Workers (CJWs) to address specific access to justice issues. Our latest blog series focuses on the implementation of CJW programs in three jurisdictions: Alaska, Delaware, and Texas. Delaware’s CJW model focuses on one specific legal issue: landlord-tenant cases. This model differs from Alaska’s CJW program, in which CJWs are supervised by a legal aid organization and may work on a broader range of issues. Delaware also stands in contrast to Texas, where lawyers are building a framework for future implementation of a

Unum Group: Navigating the Road to Asylum

August 25, 2026

For more than four years, the legal department at Unum Group** has been engaged in a deeply impactful pro bono effort: representing a family seeking asylum in the U.S. after fleeing persecution in their home country. What began as a single asylum application evolved into a long-term, department-wide commitment. Led by an in-house lawyer at Unum’s Portland, Maine, campus, and supported by a dozen colleagues across practice groups, the matter reflects the persistence, empathy, and sustained advocacy required in asylum work, where cases often unfold over many years. For our latest Signatory Showcase, we spoke with Lisa G. Iglesias, Executive

California Considers Community Justice Worker Proposal

August 19, 2026

By Anne Hickey, PBI Sheehan Scholar UPDATE (as of September 25, 2026): Following the public comment period, the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees on September 19, 2026, voted to advance proposed rules to the California Supreme Court that would authorize a Community Justice Worker (CJW) model. The PBEye blog will continue to monitor these updates. California is among the latest states to move forward with a Community Justice Worker program proposal. PBI has been following updates closely and keeping stakeholders up to date. Additionally, the PBEye has been reporting on recent developments as jurisdictions authorize Community Justice Workers

Community Justice Worker Model in Alaska

August 18, 2026

By Erica Norris, PBI Intern The PBEye has been reporting on recent developments as jurisdictions authorize Community Justice Workers (CJWs) to address specific access-to-justice issues. Our latest blog series focuses on the implementation of CJW programs in three jurisdictions, beginning with Alaska, which implemented the original CJW model. Stay tuned for future pieces in this series covering implementation in Delaware and Texas. Alaska’s CJW model was implemented under the supervision of Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) to provide community members with assistance on select legal matters. Since its inception in 2019, the program has continued to grow and has expanded

How AI is Reshaping the Pro Bono Landscape

August 4, 2026

By Nihad Mansour, Associate Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project, and Innovation Specialist AI is no longer a theoretical concept in pro bono. Instead, it is an evolving set of tools that organizations are testing, adopting, and in some cases, building themselves. Recent insights from sessions at the Pro Bono Institute (PBI) 2026 Annual Conference, the PBI 2026 Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Report, and the 2026 Global Pro Bono Guide, a collaboration between Latham & Watkins, PBI, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, show that the question is no longer whether AI belongs in pro bono, but how it can