LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. and a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠ Signatory, has released a Corporate Responsibility Report, highlighting the community service and legal pro bono work that Lexis employees participated in during 2007 and outlining objectives for 2008.

In the report, LexisNexis announces a commitment to “encouraging and promoting pro bono service to low-income and disadvantaged individuals” by signing the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠ in 2007 and also noted that this was a key part of the progress of their CSR initiative as a whole. In fact, in a chart of the company’s “2007 Progress and 2008 Objectives,” (see page 3), the commitment to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠ is cited as evidence of the company’s progress in the focus area of community.  Growing out of this commitment, LexisNexis states clearly in the report that they intend to meet the Challenge goal of 50 percent legal department participation in pro bono in 2008.

This report serves as further evidence of the intrinsic value of in-house pro bono as part of a company’s overall corporate social responsibility efforts.  In addition to the pledge LexisNexis has made for its legal department to participate in traditional pro bono activities, Lexis currently works on and has committed to further work on Rule of Law issues around the globe, by applying their unique skills and capabilities to increase capacity for pro bono by donating their business products and services free of charge. Such activities include providing research solutions to advance human rights through their Southern Africa Litigation Center and training judges in developing democracies.