Renaissance of Idealism in the Legal Profession
Pro Bono & Public Service Best Practices Resource Guide
Law Firms
Law firm best practices include most predominantly a wide variety of administrative policies designed to encourage and promote pro bono and community service among lawyers, paralegals and staff, and to efficiently and effectively match attorneys with appropriate pro bono projects. Many of the best practices include, for example, providing "full credit" or "billable hour credit" for time spent on pro bono matters for purposes of hour targets and bonuses, creation of pro bono committees and in some cases positions for full time attorneys or staff who coordinate the firm's pro bono program, and written policies governing the firm's pro bono program. A number of firms also have developed systems to recognize pro bono work within the firm, such as through office wide emails, newsletters, annual reports, and awards. Several firms work in partnerships with bar associations or other community organizations, and have developed focused pro bono projects targeted at specific community issues. Also, a number of firms have rotation or externship projects that provide an opportunity for attorneys, paralegals and staff to spend significant portions of time working with a particular nonprofit legal services provider. We received a number of best practice submissions for law firms that will hopefully provide ideas and inspiration for expansion of and improvements to law firm pro bono programs.
Alston & Bird LLP
Initiative:
- Broad definition of pro bono including "Everybody Wins! Power Lunch" reading program for inner-city schools in Atlanta (expanding to NY and DC), and animal rights project;
- founded Atlanta Bar-related organization to assist asylum seekers;
- conduct surveys to poll associates on areas of interest
Objectives for this practice:
Serve the profession and community; enhance the firm's commitment to the community.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Practices have reinforced growth of and interest in the firm's pro bono program.
How was success evaluated?
Surveys of associates' areas of interest; match interests with opportunities. Pro bono and community service fairs allowing outside organizations to showcase their work; lunch and learn programs on a variety of pro bono topics. Pro bono hours continue to rise.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Arnold & Porter LLP
Pro Bono Program
Initiative:
- 130 pro bono hours per lawyer in 2003 (total of 82,453 hours);
- encouraging lawyers to spend 15% or more of their time on pro bono matters;
- training program (30 hours of class time) to certify lawyers to handle criminal appointments;
- committed to take on 8 cases this year from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals pro se program;
- DC landlord tenant resource center;
- samples of cases and awards
Objectives for this practice:
To be the best pro bono program in the nation as shown by pro bono hours, new programs, new cases and projects, awards received and media attention.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes, significant increase in hours, new programs, significant new matters.
How was success evaluated?
Statistics, awards and media acknowledgment.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Initiative:
- creation of large pro bono committee representing all offices and practice groups;
- partnering with clients and pro bono legal services organizations;
- pro bono and public service initiative focused on pro bono legal services, civil presence, partnering with clients, sponsoring fellowships, encouraging employee volunteerism, and charitable giving
Objectives for this practice:
Make numerous choices available to all attorneys to make it easier to devote time to the program.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Dramatic increase in number of attorneys who regularly provide legal services to the underserved.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
See Firm pro bono initiative documents.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Full-text documents for this project
Baker & McKenzie Pro Bono and Public Service Initiative
Baker Botts, L.L.P.
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
Internally recognizes and encourages pro bono through:
- presentations to new associates;
- billable hour credit;
- mentors;
- yearly pro bono award in each domestic office which includes $1,000 donation to charity of lawyers choice;
- coordination of pro bono matters with designated partners;
- active pro bono committees; and
- formal written policies
Objectives for this practice:
Encourage participation, regardless of department or area of expertise, and provide the necessary training and support structure to succeed.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Greater variety of pro bono opportunities and enhanced participation.
How was success evaluated?
Continuing evaluation; designated office pro bono partners and committees; quarterly firm-wide committee meeting to manage program; steady and sustained growth of pro bono program.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll LLP
Pro Bono Practice Groups
Initiative:
Pro bono practice groups, such as child advocacy, in multiple firm offices, with practice materials, list serve and quarterly meetings, including expert presenters. There are now four such groups, and several have cross-discipline teams.
Objectives for this practice:
Enhance substantive support for attorneys doing pro bono, internal firm support to share information and training and avoid duplication,
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Information sharing and collaboration have improved, more attorneys have been recruited for pro bono matters, external communications and training concerning pro bono are improved.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Bryan Cave LLP
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
- lawyers encouraged to bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm;
- firm works regularly with various legal services organizations;
- local offices actively involved in identifying pro bono work;
- firm addresses pro bono work and community involvement with summer associates and first year associates;
- billable hour credit for pro bono work
Objectives for this practice:
To encourage pro bono work.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Helped attorneys understand the importance of pro bono while demonstrating the firm's support for issues important to its lawyers.
How was success evaluated?
Annual program review, statistics, preparation of response to pro bono challenge and other surveys.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
Firm strongly encourages all lawyers to engage in pro bono work. Referrals from local legal services agencies and work for nonprofit organizations are important elements of the program. Firm emphasizes community service. Committees coordinate, supervise and assure quality of the work.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Carlton Fields, PA
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
Fifty hours per lawyer/paralegal goal; 3% of annual billable hours. Pro Bono Committee supervises large projects. Significant pro bono contributions are recognized by the Firm's William Reece Smith Jr and Carlton Fields Pro Bono Awards.
Objectives for this practice:
Attorneys share a responsibility to give something back to the community.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Annual contribution of nearly $2 million of legal services, 86% lawyer participation; average of 43 hours per attorney.
How was success evaluated?
Achieve 3% of billable hour goal.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
Firm leaders and many lawyers have founded and held significant leadership positions in legal services, pro bono and public interest organizations at the national, state and local levels for many years.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Clayton Utz
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
- expectation that all lawyers will conduct at least one pro bono matter each year (in a sense making pro bono compulsory);
- pro bono treated the same as commercial work;
- procedures for accepting and staffing projects through National Pro Bono Director and Pro Bono Committee
Objectives for this practice:
Fulfill inherent and shared professional responsibility to do pro bono work.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
By creating the impression that pro bono work is expected of everyone in the firm, the notion of pro bono as burden has largely disappeared. Compensation and partnership decisions require participation in pro bono.
How was success evaluated?
At least 75% participation and at least 30 hours per lawyer have been achieved, and targets will be raised.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Cooley Godward LLP
Pro Bono Collaboration
Initiative:
Collaboration with Legal Aid Society of San Mateo to develop Guardianship Pro Bono Panel
Objectives for this practice:
Collaborate with an outside organization on a new and focused program to address a real community need for transactional attorneys who could be trained in a short period of time.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
The Guardianship Panel has been remarkably successful in meeting the stated needs.
How was success evaluated?
Number of clients served, outcomes, feedback from attorneys and continuing communication with LAS.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Covington & Burling
Initiative:
Rotation Programs in which firm attorneys and other staff spend time (as much as six months) staffing legal needs at several projects, including Archdiocesan Legal Network Intake Project, Bread for the City, Children's Law Center and Neighborhood Legal Services Program.
Objectives for this practice:
Leverage firm resources to support legal service providers; provide opportunities to associates to develop trial advocacy and case management skills.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Rotation program has been in continuous existence since 1969 and meets stated objectives.
How was success evaluated?
At end of rotation, associate writes short critique of the experience.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
See Covington & Burling's Public Service Activities 2004 for more information.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
Lawyer/Liaison with major referral organizations with which firm has ongoing relationship to solicit matters, respond to requests and coordinate staffing on matters referred from the organization.
Objectives for this practice:
Strengthens firm's relationships with the referral organization and makes it easier for attorneys to take matters referred from the organization.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes.
How was success evaluated?
Continuing work flow from the referral organization and feedback from attorneys.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary
Pro Bono Projects
Initiative:
DLA Piper excels at developing signature projects in partnership with community organizations. In 2004, the Chicago office announced a signature project focused on juvenile justice. The first component involves direct representation of youth in the juvenile justice system. We have forged a strong partnership with Northwestern University's Bluhm Legal Clinic, and sponsor the first-ever DLA Piper Fellow, who divides her time between the firm and the Clinic. The second component is a large-scale policy analysis of the interaction of the juvenile justice system and the public schools in coordination with a task force spearheaded by Loyola University, with a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The Washington, DC office undertook a signature project representing adoption petitioners in partnership with the Children's Law Center. We also partnered with DC Appleseed and the public schools to analyze the special education processes, and now assist with implementation of the recommendations.
Objectives for this practice:
The firm sought to develop a large-scale project that would involve a large number of attorneys from all practice groups in a project that addressed a need in Chicago and would make a lasting improvement in the community.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Partnering with the Bluhm Law Clinic and Loyola University has allowed the firm to develop deep and lasting relationships with experts in the areas. We built these relationships as we developed our signature project. The partnerships continue through both components of the project and provide our attorneys with training and support in areas new to them.
How was success evaluated?
Since June 2004, 45 attorneys have represented children in over 38 cases in juvenile court. Over 10 attorneys have provided assistance with special research questions related to cutting-edge juvenile justice issues specifically related to the direct representation end of the Project. A number of cases have been co-counseled with attorneys and professors of our partner, Northwestern University's Bluhm Legal Clinic. The policy side of the Project boasts 40 attorneys split into three teams, each of which is taking on ambitious research dealing with challenges presented by the relationship between the juvenile justice system and the Chicago Public Schools.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
DLA Piper is very proud of our pro bono structure. To support our full-service pro bono program, DLA Piper has a firm-wide pro bono partner and firm-wide pro bono manager who administer the firm's pro bono program, at least one office pro bono coordinator (who is a partner) in each office to act as point person on local projects and, in some of the larger offices, office pro bono partners. The pro bono partner and pro bono manager, both of whom are attorneys, spend 100% of their time representing pro bono clients and administering the firm's pro bono program. The office pro bono partners have committed to spend at least one-third of their time on pro bono work. The office pro bono coordinators spend varying degrees of time on pro bono. In addition to our signature projects, we perform pro bono work in virtually every legal area including; civil rights and public rights, community economic development, poverty law, family law, international and human rights, immigration, real estate, intellectual property, legislative assistance and lobbying, and non-profit governance. We are proud of the broad-based services we provide in "bread and butter" pro bono cases, helping one individual client at a time.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Pro Bono Program
Initiative:
Dorsey has a long-standing tradition to give back to the community through pro bono service; it is valued by everyone at Dorsey. Our lawyers were doing significant pro bono work even prior to accepting the Pro Bono Challenge in 1992. We have a wide ranging program, not limited to certain types of matters (See our 2004 Annual Report). We acknowledge those who do pro bono work in numerous ways - from a monthly pro bono e-mail newsletter to annual pro bono awards given out at our yearly firm meeting. Dorsey associates are given billable hours credit for pro bono work and recently we increased the credit so that associates are now given billable hours credit for up to 50 hours of pro bono work. If associates make their billable requirement, they are given billable hours credit for up to 100 additional pro bono hours towards their bonus. Dorsey has also established a strong pro bono component in our summer associate program.
Objectives for this practice:
There are many great reasons to develop a pro bono practice. Some of Dorsey's objectives were:1) create another outlet for Dorsey to give back to the community in meaningful ways and help meet the huge unmet need for legal services to the disadvantaged; 2) create great opportunities for our attorneys to be involved in interesting and fulfilling case work beyond that of our normal practice; 3) provide training and experience for young lawyers; 4) pro bono can provide matters where we can work together between groups and offices; and 5) making pro bono an important part of our summer associate program.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Dorsey's Pro Bono Program consistently meets and exceeds our 3% Law Firm Challenge commitment. The types of matters we are involved in have provided some of our best opportunities to work cross-office and get to know each other better; we consistently receive very positive feedback from our summer associates on the level and type of pro bono experiences that have while at Dorsey.
How was success evaluated?
We regularly, at least yearly, evaluate the program's effectiveness. Every month we review detailed analysis of our pro bono matters. We also contact the organizations we partner with and seek their feedback and ask for evaluations from our summer associates.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Faegre & Benson, LLP
Initiative:
- "JUSTice for KIDS" initiative is multi-pronged, comprehensive approach to meet legal needs of abused and neglected children in Minneapolis, including pro bono legal service, community service projects, and targeted charitable giving;
- Hennepin County Housing Project placing pro bono attorneys in housing court with Legal Aid lawyers;
- Denver Post Decree Clinic, partnership with legal service organization to assist pro se litigants in family law matters in clinical setting
Objectives for this practice:
Address specific unmet legal needs in the community; assist the court; create a partnership with a local legal services organization; provide structured volunteer opportunities for lawyers and staff
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Success in meeting all objectives.
How was success evaluated?
Client outcomes, attorney and staff participation rates, review and assessment of projects, requests to expand projects, frequent periodic meetings with participating entities to review and evaluate programs, surveys.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Full-text documents for this project
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Pro Bono Committee
Initiative:
- new pro bono committee, naming a partner as Pro Bono Coordinator;
- firm gives "full credit" to associates for time charged to approved pro bono matters;
- firm encourages attorneys to work on pro bono matters
Objectives for this practice:
Reorganizing at Firm (not local) level and institutionalizing pro bono; better internal marketing of pro bono to increase pro bono hours.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Hours have increased across the board; in some offices by as much as 85%.
How was success evaluated?
Increased pro bono hours.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Holland & Knight LLP
Initiative:
- Community Service Team is commitment of five full-time attorneys exclusively to pro bono;
- Chesterfield Smith Fellowship Program provides opportunities for associates to do several years of full-time pro bono before working as litigation associates
Objectives for this practice:
Institutionalize firm commitment and pro bono culture.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes; wide variety of pro bono firm wide.
How was success evaluated?
Review of data, statistics and case results on a quarterly and annual basis; annual pro bono strategic planning retreat.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
We perform this significant level of pro bono legal services based solely on professional duty as attorneys to provide needy people and groups with free legal services. We do not believe there is or should be a business rationale for the fulfillment of our ethical obligation. In 2004, attorneys averaged 51.6 pro bono hours and the firm achieved 59,644 hours of pro bono, exclusively for poor people or organizations that primarily benefit poor people. We rigorously enforce this standard.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Full-text documents for this project
Howrey LLP
Initiative:
- strong support from firm management;
- full billable credit for pro bono time;
- hired full time lawyer to manage the pro bono program;
- "victory" e-mails and publishing annual report
Objectives for this practice:
Give back to the community, make a difference using the legal system; work on challenging cases; training and professional development for lawyers; recruitment and retention of lawyers; staff morale.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes.
How was success evaluated?
Results in pro bono cases. Professional experience of the lawyer(s) handling the case. Awards and AmLaw survey.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Hunton & Williams
Initiative:
- establishing pro bono offices in the community;
- institutionalizing pro bono ethic as core value of the firm;
- expectation that all lawyers devote a significant amount of their time to pro bono each year;
- infrastructure for making participation in pro bono easy;
- leadership by example - most senior and respected lawyers participate
Objectives for this practice:
Better job of fulfilling professional obligation to represent those who cannot afford a lawyer and enhance the quality of who we are as a law firm.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
High pro bono profile has supported interpersonal relationships among lawyers and with non-legal staff. Enhanced collegiality; demonstration of caring about people.
How was success evaluated?
Achieve Law Firm Challenge commitment of 3%. Awards.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
See 2004 Pro Bono Report and newsletters.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
- Personal survey of new Firm attorneys to identify areas of pro bono interest. Data base assists in matching interest to new pro bono matters.
- Loan of summer associates to legal services agencies to do supervised court room work on behalf of victims of domestic violence and tenants fighting eviction.
Objectives for this practice:
Motivate attorneys to do pro bono by matching areas of interest. Give summer associates an exciting legal experience to enhance recruitment and cement commitment to pro bono.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes. Takes away excuse that pro bono doesn't match area of interest or expertise. Recruitment both for the Firm and to do pro bono is enhanced.
How was success evaluated?
Nothing formal; anecdotal feedback and monitoring.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Pro Bono Partnership
Initiative:
- "Impact" is a firm-wide initiative integrating community leadership, pro bono and volunteerism - for example multi-level relationships with Atlanta Union Mission and Peoplestown Revitalization Corporation;
- failure to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono work each year affects compensation;
- mechanism for recording community involvement;
- incentive program for non-exempt employees
Objectives for this practice:
Better strategic utilization of firm resources to make an impact in the community; internal and external relationship building; higher visibility to yield greater participation by attorneys and staff.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Overwhelming results. Failure to perform 50 hours annual pro bono work affects compensation. Extraordinary work yields bonuses. Non-exempt staff is included. Participation, including partnering with firm clients in projects, has increased.
How was success evaluated?
Pro bono hours doubled in 2 years; 84% of attorneys now participate in pro bono; 22% increase in number of volunteers in community projects and 50% more attorney participation in the non-legal aspect of these projects.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP
Initiative:
- Pro Bono Report acknowledging pro bono services performed by the firm's lawyers is valuable tool for pro bono coordinators to use to encourage broader participation;
- "Project Challenge" Pittsburgh office assists victims of domestic violence in collaboration with Neighborhood Legal Services Association (175 cases per year; over 1,000 victims assisted);
- exploring synergies between pro bono program and diversity initiative;
- appointments by Third Circuit Court of Appeals, mostly in habeas matters
Objectives for this practice:
Encourage additional participation in pro bono by firm attorneys; communicate about firm's pro bono activities to clients and other external constituencies. Find projects that minimize conflict of interest issues; training experiences for young lawyers. Support and enhance diversity.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Report has had a positive impact both internally and externally. Project Challenge has assisted over 1,000 victims of domestic violence. Firm has supported and sustained a diverse work force and client population.
How was success evaluated?
Anecdotal feedback on Report. Statistical data and awards for Project Challenge. More diversity is observed. Anecdotal support for the Third Circuit Appellate project.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
See the Firm's Pro Bono Report. Firm also gives seminars on the synergies between pro bono and diversity.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Latham & Watkins LLP
Initiative:
- support by firm management, and treating time spent on pro bono matters the same as time spent on commercial matters for all purposes including supervision, reviews, bonuses, hour targets, etc.;
- partnering with community organizations;
- pro bono committee which manages program on a local and firmwide basis including written pro bono policies;
- specialty practice group for Human Rights & Refugee pro bono practice;
- annual pro bono report
Objectives for this practice:
Pro bono is an essential part of the practice of law. The goal of the pro bono committee is to make sure quality pro bono opportunities are available for interested attorneys, and to encourage participation in and to monitor the program.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Over the last five years, we have dramatically improved the firm's pro bono program, increasing attorney involvement, identifying quality projects, and addressing community needs. We also have developed written policies and systems to monitor the program.
How was success evaluated?
The program is successful based on the provision of legal services to persons and entities who otherwise lack access to the legal system. Samples of these stories are compiled in an annual report. We also keep track of statistics regarding the number of pro bono hours, average hours per attorney and value of legal services provided, as well as awards received from bar associations and community organizations.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
See 2003 Pro bono Annual Report.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Leonard, Street and Deinard
Initiative:
Leonard, Street and Deinhard Legal Clinic; located at a medical clinic in a very poor neighborhood to provide legal services to the local community.
Objectives for this practice:
High quality legal services, enhanced legal literacy for the community; close working relationship with social service organizations, attorney referral services and legal aid groups in the neighborhood.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
More than 2,000 clients have been served, with about 40,000 hours of pro bono legal work valued at more than $5 million, over 12 years.
How was success evaluated?
Client feedback, feedback from medical clinic personnel, participation rates of lawyers and paralegals.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Full-text documents for this project
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
Community Involvement Program
Initiative:
New full-time manager to develop Community Involvement Program with integrated pro bono and philanthropic support plan; manager focuses on individual attorneys' needs and interests.
Objectives for this practice:
Provide interesting, challenging work; fulfill professional obligations.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Raised profile of pro bono in firm; "one-stop shop" to find pro bono projects; wider variety of pro bono projects.
How was success evaluated?
Anecdotal to date; formal firm-wide survey at year-end.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
McDermot Will & Emery LLP
Kids First
Initiative:
The firm launched its "Kids First" program in 2002 focusing on representing at-risk children with a focus on educational issues, particularly special education and school discipline matters. The program also includes serving as court appointed guardians for abused or neglected children in a range of situations.
Objectives for this practice:
The objective was to focus a significant part of the firm's pro bono efforts in a single area and to build a body of knowledge that could be shared across offices. We also wanted to focus on children to build on the firm's tutoring program -- Partners in Reading -- which is active in several of our cities.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
We have developed significant expertise on children's issues in several of our offices. The firm recently filed an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court on behalf of several leading child advocacy groups in an important case involving the burden of proof under the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
How was success evaluated?
We assess the results obtained for our clients and the level of interest on the part of our lawyers.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
Partner: Children and Family Justice Center at the Northwestern School of Law
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
Initiative:
Billing credit for approved pro bono matters. Approved credit is treated exactly as normal collections and hours credit in evaluations and bonus considerations after the attorney has reached 45 hour goal
Objectives for this practice:
Recognize and reward pro bono commitment and achievement by firm members; find pro bono work that meets the needs and interests of firm lawyers.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes.
How was success evaluated?
Monthly review of each attorney's progress in reaching or exceeding pro bono goals.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
In 2004, firm members provided over 27,000 hours of pro bono service, equaling 4.7% of the firm's billable hours. See 2004 Pro Bono Report.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP
Initiative:
- formation of pro bono committee;
- process for communicating pro bono opportunities;
- process for communicating pro bono results through newsletter
Objectives for this practice:
Increase awareness of available pro bono work; encourage participation; publicize results; track projects.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes; committee meetings result in program improvement, associate membership on committee increases participation in pro bono; communications have raised visibility of pro bono and given firm-wide recognition to significant achievements.
How was success evaluated?
Regular evaluation in committee meetings; solicit feedback from participating attorneys.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Pro Bono Partnership, Inc.
Advice on Non-Profit Law
Initiative:
The Partnership has four full time staff attorneys with expertise in the area of nonprofit law. We work very closely with our volunteer attorneys on every matter to provide support, guidance, model forms and documents. We attend all first meetings between the attorney and the client, and we regularly follow up on all matters (ideally, no less than once a quarter) to make sure the pro bono matter is progressing smoothly for the volunteer and the client. If an attorney can no longer work on a matters, we will gladly take it back and reassign it.
Objectives for this practice:
To ensure that our clients receive the highest quality, timely legal services, while ensuring that our volunteer attorneys have an enjoyable and satisfactory pro bono experience.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Our emphasis on matter follow-up has played a critical role in the success of our program. Our staff attorneys are able to match attorneys with suitable matters, and to provide whatever support is needed to both the attorney and the client ensuring that no matters fall through the cracks and that projects are completed to everyone's satisfaction on a timely basis.
How was success evaluated?
In 2004, we provided all clients with the opportunity to rate their level of satisfaction and our overall rating was 4.75 out of a potential 5.00, with the vast majority of the 185 respondents giving us a rating of 5.0 (highly satisfied) in all categories. A similar assessment was administered to volunteer attorneys, resulting in an average rating of 4.69 for the Partnership as an overall provider of pro bono opportunities and 4.71 for the quality of support provided by the Partnership. Perhaps most importantly as a measure of success, our volunteer attorneys return to take on new matters.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Initiative:
- pro bono cases get same credit, resources, and support as billable cases;
- pro bono projects taken on in all departments and practice areas;
- partners lead by example;
- introduce pro bono program to incoming associates and summer associates;
- publicly recognize pro bono work through e-mails and intranet messages;
- sponsor five summer associate public interest fellowships each year;
- survey associates about pro bono work
Objectives for this practice:
Continue firm commitment to public service; help those in need.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes, the firm has a pro-bono friendly environment with participation of attorneys at all levels.
How was success evaluated?
Monthly tracking of activity; periodic surveys of associates.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
See attached Simpson Thacher Memorandum, "Pro Bono and Community Service."
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Full-text documents for this project
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Initiative:
Tracking system enabling us to tell who has devoted how much time to each pro bono matter and to input status updates. It also allows us to search on cases by client name, attorney name and source group and to print out status summaries by source group.
Objectives for this practice:
To better keep track of the progress, or lack thereof, of each pro bono matter and to be pro-active when cases are not proceeding satisfactorily. Also, to see which attorneys have done particular types of pro bono.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes, to the extent that our various particular offices have used this system properly.
How was success evaluated?
Yes. It works well when used properly. We periodically ask our technical support people to improve it, such as by lessening the inclusion of unimportant information.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Comments:
Not all of the criteria apply directly to the tracking system. But they all apply to our pro bono program, and most apply directly or indirectly to the tracking system.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Full-text documents for this project
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Pro Bono Service
Initiative:
The Firm's Public Service Counsel meets with all new attorneys when they arrive at the firm to describe pro bono, identify the attorney's interest and level of experience and engage them in appropriate work on a continuing basis.
Objectives for this practice:
Achieve highest level of participation by tracking individuals' availability and matching interests.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Yes.
How was success evaluated?
Anecdotal.
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Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP
Pro Bono Committee and Service
Initiative:
Firm-wide pro bono committee meets every six weeks; full-time pro bono counsel and pr bono coordinator. Both litigation and transactional pro bono matters for individuals and nonprofit organizations and economic development entities.
Objectives for this practice:
50 hours per attorney per year.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Monthly statistics monitored against annual goals. Management Committee oversight. Pro bono is part of annual business plan for practice areas.
How was success evaluated?
Pro bono service included in annual evaluation process; annual awards programs; quarterly pro bono newsletters.
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Contact information for this pro bono practice.
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Initiative:
The firm applies the principles of venture philanthropy to make a decisive impact on the educational opportunities available to children and teens. Over three years the firm has given more than $1.2 million to 6 non-profit partner organizations in Boston and Washington, DC that serve urban youth. The Firm supplements financial support with a broad range of administrative, pro bono and in-kind assistance, and with active volunteer service of attorneys and staff. Results are notable in student morale, student and staff retention, college acceptance rates, child literacy, communication skills and community building, also uniting the Firm and the local community and allowing direct interaction between the lawyers and inner city youth.
Objectives for this practice:
Focus the Firm's charitable giving and have a strong impact on the community through sustained giving. Firm also maintains charitable giving and partner and law school matching gift programs.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
Created strong ties between the Firm and the surrounding community. Sustained relationships build a rapport with the youth and staff from the organizations and generates continuing interest around many events sponsored by the Firm.
How was success evaluated?
At the end of each three-year grant period there is an exchange of feedback between the Firm and the organizations. Firm staff and attorney liaisons work with each organization, meet annually to do an evaluation and to plan for the coming year.
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Full-text documents for this project
Winston & Strawn LLP
Public Service/Pro Bono Intranet
Initiative:
Winston & Strawn has developed a public service/pro bono intranet. This site provides not only news items such as calendars and success stories, but is designed as a resource for assisting lawyers find new pro bono opportunities. A template is created for each opportunity and then organized in a way that firm attorneys can sort them. Sort criteria are: practice group, client type, law type, expected hours, and professional skill development. For this last category the firm tries to identify what skills a person would develop in that pro bono matter. This allows people who are more interested in learning a skill to find the matter that will allow them that training opportunity.
Objectives for this practice:
The primary goal was to preempt the inevitable "what can I do" question and also eliminate such lack of knowledge as an excuse for not doing pro bono work.
Are your objectives met by this practice?
The initial anecdotal results are very positive.
View the criteria that apply to this identified pro bono practice.
Contact information for this pro bono practice.
