Over 120 leaders from in-house legal departments and major law firms gathered on November 6, 2007, for the first-ever Pro Bono Leadership Convocation, sponsored by the Pro Bono Institute and the Association for Corporate Counsel (ACC). Held at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom, LLP in New York City, the Pro Bono Leadership Convocation brought together representatives of in-house legal departments and major law firms to focus on ensuring that the growing levels of pro bono service at law firms and legal departments more effectively address the need for legal assistance and effectuate systemic changes in our justice system.

On October 29, 2007, Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a national partnership project of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and the Pro Bono Institute, hosted its tenth annual Onsite Pro Bono Clinic in conjunction with the 2007 ACC Annual Meeting in Chicago – the largest annual meeting in ACC history.  Co-sponsored by ACC’s Chicago Chapter, Holland & Knight LLP, and the Community Economic Development Law Project (CEDLP), the Clinic attracted 36 volunteer corporate attorneys and was extremely successful in helping to resolve the legal issues of fourteen Chicago area nonprofit organizations.

On November 12th, 2007, Intel Corporation and Hewlett-Packard Company, in association with Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), hosted a Summit on Pro Bono Participation for corporate legal departments in the Bay Area.  The Summit attracted over twenty in-house representatives from more than thirteen legal departments, and achieved its goals of promoting awareness of pro bono efforts in the Bay Area, highlighting the feasibility of pro bono work at departments, and identifying opportunities for collaboration among Bay Area corporate legal departments.

The Pro Bono Institute’s 2007 Annual Gala “Partnering for Justice” was a great event 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.

Esther Lardent is busier than she’s been in years — and she couldn’t be happier. She’s discovered a whole new crop of attorneys interested in doing pro bono work: in-house lawyers.

On October 29, 2007, Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a national partnership project of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Pro Bono Institute, hosted its tenth annual Onsite Pro Bono Clinic in conjunction with the ACC Annual Meeting in Chicago. Co-sponsored by ACC’s Chicago Chapter, Holland & Knight LLP, and the Community Economic Development Law Project (CEDLP), the Clinic attracted 36 volunteer corporate attorneys and was extremely successful in helping to resolve the legal issues of fourteen Chicago area nonprofit organizations.

PHILADELPHIA (November 13, 2007) – Attorneys and staff from PECO, Exelon, ACE Group of Insurance Companies, Pep Boys, Aetna, Merck, Wachovia, Blue Cross, and Reliable Companies with the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), an organization dedicated to meeting the legal and advocacy needs of Philadelphia’s homeless community, held a recent birth certificate clinic that helped over 130 adults and children apply for their birth certificates free of charge.

On September 20, 2007, American International Group, Inc. (AIG) held its first global legal compliance and regulatory conference in Greenwich, Connecticut under the leadership of Anastasia Kelly, the company’s new Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Senior Regulatory and Compliance Officer.  The conference included a thought-provoking and well-attended plenary panel on pro bono service.

On September 18, 2007, Philadelphia LawWorks, a project of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, hosted its fourth annual Corporate Pro Bono Day. Co-sponsored by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Delaware Valley (DELVACCA) Chapter, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, and Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a national partnership project of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Pro Bono Institute, Corporate Pro Bono Day provided in-house counsel the opportunity to provide valuable legal assistance to small businesses in need. Based on CPBO’s Clinic in a Box℠ model, Corporate Pro Bono Day attracted approximately 26 corporate volunteer attorneys and 22 small businesses. The volunteer participants represented a number of corporate law departments, including Exelon Business Services, GlaxoSmithKline, Pep Boys, and Comcast.

Please welcome the six newest Corporate Challenge℠ Signatories: Abbott, Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Aon Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and Pep Boys.  The legal departments of these companies have become the latest corporate legal departments to sign onto the Corporate Challenge℠, which is designed to empower corporate legal departments to identify, benchmark, and communicate their commitment to pro bono service.