Corporate Pro Bono recently published the 2010 In-House Pro Bono Benchmarking Survey, which highlights several key trends that CPBO observed in in-house pro bono in 2010. The report includes responses from 35 legal departments, each of them Signatories to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠. The benchmarking data enables legal departments to compare their pro bono programs and projects with those of other departments. As in-house pro bono evolves, CPBO will regularly expand and update these materials.

On April 26, DELVACCA joined with Philadelphia VIP and DELVACCA sponsor Duane Morris to host a free small business counseling clinic for clients of the Women’s Business Development Center in Center City.  The Center’s mission is to empower micro-entrepreneurs (primarily but not exclusively women) to start new businesses and grow existing ones.  Volunteer attorneys – who were paired up with the Center’s clients based on self-selected areas of expertise – gave advice to about two dozen people on choice of entity, employment, contracts, real estate, intellectual property, tax and other legal matters.  Duane Morris lawyers were also on hand throughout the event, to offer extra assistance where needed. 

Like the boy Trevor, who launches a good-will movement in the 2000 movie “Pay It Forward”, the Office Depot Legal Department recently launched a new good-will movement of its own, donating a sum total of a full week of work to the local community.

Verizon’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel describes the recent rule change in Virginia that removed restrictions for in-house attorneys seeking to provide pro bono legal services.

On April 14, 2011, Corporate Pro Bono hosted a Clinic in a Box℠ in partnership with the Time Warner Legal Department, the Time Warner Corporate Social Responsibility Department, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP*. Clinic in a Box℠ is an off-the-shelf program developed by Corporate Pro Bono to provide volunteer attorneys transactional pro bono opportunities.

Noticing the importance that paralegals and other staff can play in serving pro bono clients, legal departments are involving non-lawyers in more pro bono activities.

Washington, D.C. – April 19, 2011 – Corporate Pro Bono applauds the Virginia Supreme Court for amending its rules to remove restrictions on certified in-house attorneys providing pro bono work in the state. Certified in-house counsel are those attorneys employed by corporations who, while licensed to practice in good standing, are not admitted to do pro bono. They are permitted to practice by their employer, but previously faced major hurdles to providing pro bono practice. This change empowers the more than 800 in-house attorneys in Virginia who are certified to work in-house to directly provide desperately needed assistance to low-income individuals and organizations. The rule change addresses the growing gap between the need for legal assistance and the need for pro bono.

The Virginia Supreme court approves a rule amendment that removes restrictions limiting certified in-house counsel’s ability to provide pro bono work.

The Supreme Court of Arkansas adopted language that allows non-admitted attorneys, including in-house counsel, to provide legal services to persons of limited means.