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170 Percent Increase in Law Firm Pro Bono over Past Twelve Years
The Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM is a unique global aspirational pro bono standard, developed by law firm leaders and corporate general counsel and articulating a single, unitary benchmark for the world's largest law firms. Major law firms that become Signatories to the ChallengeSM acknowledge their institutional, firm-wide commitment to provide pro bono legal services to low income and disadvantaged individuals and families and nonprofit groups. The ChallengeSM definition of pro bono has become an industry standard, utilized not only by major law firms, but by the legal media in reporting the pro bono contributions of large firms. Each year, the Pro Bono Institute analyzes the pro bono statistics reported by the Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM Signatories and produces a report detailing the aggregate amount of pro bono legal services provided by these firms.
The Executive Summary, detailing the results of the 2007 Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM, has just been released, and it provides an impressive picture of the state of law firm pro bono. In 1995, the Pro Bono Institute announced that 135 of the nation's largest law firms had provided almost 1,600,000 hours of pro bono legal services. Twelve years later, 135 of the nation's largest law firms provided 4,285,684 hours of pro bono legal services – an increase of 170 percent! As important as the number of hours provided by Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM Signatories is the number of lawyers providing that pro bono service. In 1995, 7,270 partners and 10,504 associates (a total of 17,774) participated in the provision of pro bono legal services. In 2007, 17,514 partners and 29,638 associates (a total of 46,798) participated – a substantial 163% increase in participation. The growth in headcount at the participating firms may account in part for the change in participation, but that factor does not wholly account for this substantial expansion. Furthermore, the amount of pro bono service intended to directly benefit persons of limited means is increasing rapidly as well. Between 1995 and 2007, the number of hours of pro bono service provided to persons of limited means increased 161%, from 1,052,806 to 2,756,330. Building on the success and impact of the Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM, the Institute, through the Corporate Pro Bono Project, a joint initiative with the Association of Corporate Counsel, launched a Corporate Pro Bono ChallengeSM in 2006. For more information about the Corporate ChallengeSM or the Corporate Pro Bono Project, please visit the website at www.cpbo.org. The definition of pro bono contained in the Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM is now used by American Lawyer Media in its pro bono and A-list rankings. By assuring that major law firms have one uniform definition of pro bono, reporting of pro bono statistics has become easier and rankings of pro bono programs have become more standardized. Esther Lardent, Named One of the 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years The recent 30th Anniversary issue of the Legal Times celebrated the achievements of ninety D.C. lawyers of the past thirty years. In doing so, Legal Times named the Pro Bono Institute's President and CEO, Esther Lardent one of the 90 greatest Washington, D.C. lawyers of the last 30 years and a champion in the legal community. As the article notes, Lardent has pioneered key pro bono practices for large law firms and corporate legal departments and has developed a widely-quoted business case for pro bono. Furthermore, she has “set an example that other D.C. lawyers should follow.” Alongside Lardent, many of the Institute’s esteemed friends and colleagues also made the top 90. Many, like Lardent, were named on the champions list, while others were highlighted as pioneers – those who have made an incredible impact but who are no longer with us, and visionaries – those who have inspired political activism and legal scholarship in the legal community. Two listed as champions include Judith Areen – Paul Regis Dean Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, and member of the Pro Bono Institute Board of Directors, and James Sandman – General Counsel for the District of Columbia Public Schools and long-time member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project Advisory Committee. John Pickering, the esteemed namesake of a Pro Bono Institute award for exemplary law firm pro bono service, was listed as a pioneer. We've Moved! The Pro Bono Institute has moved to a new location! After 10 years at Georgetown University Law Center, the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, a national and global leader in pro bono, has moved to a new suite of offices on Connecticut Avenue. This move allows the organization to increase its capacity and staff to better serve the law firms and legal departments with whom we work and to continue to develop innovative programming. Readers may now use the following to contact the Institute: Pro Bono Institute 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 205 Washington, DC 20036 tel: (202) 729-6699 fax: (202) 296-0303 Our e-mail addresses remain the same. The Power of Pro Bono 2008 Seminar and Forum Based on the evaluations of participants and other post-event feedback, the 2008 Seminar/Forum was a great success! Be sure to mark your calendars now and register early for the 2009 Seminar/Forum scheduled for March 5, 6, and 7. Held for the second year at the beautiful National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Seminar/Forum reception featured great food and drink, including a signature PBI cocktail, and for the young and young at heart, the rousing music of Deaf Dog and the Indictments. On a more serious note, the reception highlights included inspiring remarks from our great pro bono supporter, Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Please click here to view the text of the Justice's remarks. The evening also included the presentation of the Zelon Pro Bono Award to the Legal Department of Bank of America Corporation for its leadership in establishing a formal pro bono program in its offices around the nation. Timothy J. Mayopoulos, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Bank of America, accepted the award on behalf of his legal department. Please click here to view the text of Mr. Mayopoulos' remarks. To view the text of the 2008 Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award, click here. Pro Bono Institute President, Esther Lardent, Selected as Ashoka Senior Fellow Esther Lardent, the President and CEO of the Pro Bono Institute, has been selected as a Senior Fellow by Ashoka. Founded in 1980, Ashoka is a worldwide association of social entrepreneurs – people with a vision to provide systemic responses to pressing social issues. Over the past twenty-seven years, Ashoka has selected over 1,800 leading social entrepreneurs to be Ashoka Fellows. Being selected as an Ashoka Fellow provides the opportunity to network with others who are developing unique and systemic programs for change as well as professional support. The rigorous selection process requires Fellows to possess: a big new idea, creativity, entrepreneurial quality, social impact of the idea, and ethical fiber. The "big new idea" is a sine qua non, a requirement "without which" the Fellow cannot be selected. Click here to read more details on this recognition of Esther Lardent's groundbreaking work. New Publications Available Online What Counts Updated, New Transactional Opportunities Article One of the Pro Bono Institute's most-popular and most-requested publications - What Counts - has been updated and is now available. All ChallengeSM Signatory law firms will receive this publication free of charge. Member Law Firms may download "What Counts" from the Member Clearinghouse on the PBI website. Furthermore, Corporate Pro Bono ChallengeSM Signatories may contact Eve Runyon, Director of the Corporate Pro Bono Project, to receive a copy of the publication. Others may purchase the updated "What Counts" publication via the publications page of the PBI website, at a cost of $25. Partnering for Justice Pro Bono Stars Shine at 2007 Gala in NYC The Pro Bono Institute’s 2007 Annual Gala “Partnering for Justice” was a great venue at which to catch up with law firm and corporate legal department leaders. Held at New York City’s Gotham Hall on November 6, the event brought together more than 475 guests to celebrate partnerships to expand and enhance pro bono service between and among corporate legal departments, major law firms, and public interest groups. Following a crowded but convivial reception, the gathering was treated to a fast-moving and inspirational dinner program, comprised of notable speakers, the presentation of two pro bono awards, and the premiere of several specially-commissioned video profiles of successful pro bono partnerships. Lester Holt, the weekend anchor of NBC News and the Today Show, expertly guided the audience through the program while establishing a rapport from the podium in his role as emcee. Featured speakers included the Gala Co-Chairs: Robert G. Abrams, Partner, Co-Chair Global Litigation, Howrey LLP; James B. Buda, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Caterpillar Inc.; Peter J. Kalis, Chairman and Global Managing Partner, K & L Gates, and; Bradford L. Smith, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Microsoft Corporation. Interspersed with the lively and witty speakers' remarks were original videos highlighting the pro bono programs of Starbucks Coffee Company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Intel Corporation, United Parcel Service of America, Inc., and Aetna Inc. Pro Bono Service, Doing Well by Doing Good This business case for pro bono, published in the ABA's "Perspectives" magazine, explores the role of pro bono in advancing the careers of women in law firms. Click here for the complete story. Defining and Quantifying Pro Bono: The Pros and Cons A paper prepared for Australia's Second National Pro Bono Conference provides useful guidelines for the quantification of pro bono. Click here for the complete paper. Global Corporate Citizenship Survey results reinforce the value of institutional support for pro bono. Click here for the complete story. |
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