As law school applications decline, organizations seek alternative ways to attract the next generation of lawyers. Among the deterrents to the potential applicant pool are financial concerns and job opportunity. A recent New York Times article notes that “the number of law school applicants has decreased 20% within the past year,” based on a study… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Pro Bono
Subscribe to Pro Bono RSS FeedPro Bono Junkies: Some Addictions Are Good
Posted in Pro BonoEric Henricks is an assistant general counsel with the Investments Practice Group at Nationwide Insurance. He is currently the chair of Nationwide’s pro bono committee and is a past chair of the Central Ohio ACC’s pro bono committee. I admit it. I am guilty. I blew off a chapter leader’s breakfast at the 2012 ACC… Continue Reading
The Face of In-house Pro Bono: Perspectives From an Established Corporate Pro Bono Program
Posted in Pro BonoMark R. Daniel is Vice President and Group Managing Counsel – Patents at Merck. He was instrumental in establishing the pro bono program at Merck in 1994 and currently serves as the Chair of the Merck Pro Bono Committee. He received the Equal Justice Medal from Legal Services of New Jersey in 1997 in recognition… Continue Reading
Three Lessons from First Impressions
Posted in Pro BonoErin Correale is a Director and Associate General Counsel at UBS Financial Services Inc., in the UBS Wealth Management Americas business division. Erin is the Chair of the UBS Wealth Management Americas Pro Bono Legal Program, and a founding member of the Pro Bono Council for Sanctuary for Families in New York. As a first time… Continue Reading
Is Mandatory Pro Bono a Solution to the Justice Crisis?
Posted in Pro BonoBy Esther F. Lardent President and Chief Executive Officer Pro Bono Institute The US legal system is facing a crisis of unparalleled proportions: With the spike in the US poverty population resulting from the Great Recession, and the precipitous drop in funding and staffing of legal services programs, it is likely that the more than… Continue Reading
Calling All Good Global Citizens
Posted in Pro BonoBy Julia Alanen Project Coordinator, Global Pro Bono Pro Bono Institute A growing number of legal departments are enhancing their pro bono and corporate social responsibility schemes by adding a global element. Some legal departments use global pro bono to engage their attorneys in offices abroad by offering them coveted pro bono opportunities… Continue Reading
In-house Pro Bono: Smaller Legal Departments and Remote Offices Can Participate Too
Posted in Pro BonoBy Corporate Pro Bono We all know that lawyers have a professional responsibility, if not a professional or personal interest, to provide pro bono legal services. However, for some in-house counsel — those in smaller legal departments or remote offices — finding pro bono opportunities may be a challenge. Corporate Pro Bono (ACC’s pro bono… Continue Reading
In-house Practice Rules: States Must Remove the Restrictions on Pro Bono Efforts
Posted in Pro BonoBy Corporate Pro Bono ACC has long championed the fight against onerous in-house counsel registration requirements. As a result, many jurisdictions now permit non-locally barred in-house attorneys to practice law for their employer-client as long as they are in good standing in another state. Unfortunately, this exception does not always extend to providing pro bono… Continue Reading
ACC Fred Krebs Talks about Leadership
Posted in Pro BonoTwo ACC leaders were recently honored with top legal industry awards: ACC’s former board chair, Laura Stein, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, The Clorox Company, is a 2010 recipient of the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, established by the ABA to recognize the accomplishments of women lawyers. In Canada, ACC board member,… Continue Reading
Street Law Honors Award Recipients at Annual Dinner
Posted in Pro BonoStreet Law, a nonprofit organization that provides education programs about law, democracy, and human rights and a partner with ACC on the corporate legal diversity pipeline initiative held their annual dinner last week in Washington, D.C. What an evening it turned out to be! The ballroom was packed and charged with energy. The award winners inspired us with… Continue Reading
PRO BONO–A Noble Endeavor . . .
Posted in Pro Bono. . .or How We Rationalize Our Maintenance of Artificially High Legal Costs I want now to focus on another sacred cow of the profession–”pro bono”. I am not against insuring that everyone has access to legal services, I just don’t believe we should deprive people of the dignity of being able to pay for… Continue Reading
ACC Fellow to be Honored for Katrina Work
Posted in Pro BonoReilly Morse, the ACC/Equal Justice Works Disaster Relief Fellow, will be recognized by the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law with the Edwin D. Wolf Award, for performing pro bono, or no-fee work, in public interest law. Read More about Mr. Morse and other attorneys recognized by the Committee If you would like to… Continue Reading