Pro Bono Happy Hour

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP – Righting the Wrong: The Power of Pro Bono

Kramer Levin’s commitment to justice is powerfully exemplified in its pro bono work to overturn the wrongful conviction of Anthony Hall, who spent 26 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Through relentless legal advocacy, strategic litigation, and an impactful partnership with Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, the firm fought to expose critical flaws in the case – from unreliable eyewitness testimony to systemic issues within the criminal justice system. Their unwavering dedication not only helped secure Hall’s freedom but also underscored the transformative power of pro bono work in changing lives and addressing injustice.

In this Challenge Signatory Showcase episode of the Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast, Nihad Mansour, Assistant Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project, is joined by David Alexander, Litigation Associate at Kramer Levin. Listen to hear more about this inspiring work!

Two Pro Bono Projects Expanding Legal Access: Accenture

Accenture has been a leader in expanding legal access, with impactful projects like Disability:In and a name change pro bono initiative in Brazil with NGO Casa Florescer. These efforts highlight how in-house legal teams can structure and deliver different pro bono legal services, even within the same corporation.

In this Challenge Signatory Showcase episode of the Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast, Nihad Mansour, Assistant Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project, interviewed Derek Bolka, Contract Specialist and Project Lead for Disability:In at Accenture, and Luciana Arana, Senior Contracting Counsel at Accenture Brazil. Listen to hear more about their respective pro bono efforts.

10/24/2024 Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga—Voices for Change: Pro Bono Advocacy for Social Justice in Brazil

Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga has been a trailblazer in advancing access to justice in Brazil, dedicating its pro bono efforts to some of the most pressing social issues. Their work addresses racial discrimination, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and refugee protection, leaving a profound and lasting impact on both individuals and communities. In 2023 alone, the firm provided approximately 20,000 hours of free legal assistance, handled 270 cases, and engaged over 400 legal professionals. Their comprehensive pro bono practice spans individual case defense, support for civil society organizations, strategic litigation, and impactful partnerships with both national and international entities.

In this episode of the Pro Bono Happy Hour podcast, we’re joined by Flavia Regina Oliveira, Pro Bono Partner and Partner of Social Impact and Philanthropy, along with Caroline Sena, Litigation Associate in Mattos Filho’s 100% Pro Bono Practice Group. Listen to hear more about this inspiring work!

8/22/2024 Citigroup Inc. Building Bridges through Pro Bono

The St. Louis Pro Bono Partnership is a remarkable collaboration involving three key organizations, Citigroup Inc. (Citi), Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, and the local legal aid organization, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, that are focused on providing legal support to underserved communities. The partnership is a testament to the impact that can be achieved through collaboration. From elderly clients to domestic violence victims and micro-entrepreneurs, this decade-long initiative has made a significant difference in the community. 

We spoke with Emily Elam, Head of Legal Strategic Priorities at Citi, for this Signatory Showcase podcast. Find out more about this exemplary collaboration.

6/28/24 Entergy Legal Department–Lighting Up Justice: The Spark of EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day

In 2022, Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), the global in-house project of Pro Bono Institute (PBI), partnered with the legal department of Entergy Corporation and Edison Electric Institute (EEI) to establish EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day. EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day is an annual day of pro bono service for volunteer attorneys and legal staff from electric and gas companies. For the past two years on EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day, Entergy has offered significant pro bono events and opportunities across jurisdictions engaging their pro bono volunteers in innovative ways.

We spoke with Christy Kane, Pro Bono Counsel at Entergy, for this Signatory Showcase episode. Listen to hear more about Entergy’s participation, community, and leadership around PBI’s annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day. The third annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day will take place on November 14, 2024.

4/24/2024 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP: Creatively Redressing the Criminalization of Marijuana Use

In partnership with The Bronx Defenders, Cleary attorneys have been supporting the launch of New York State’s Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licensing program. The first of its kind, this program prioritizes licensing individuals affected by the past criminalization of marijuana use. We spoke with Cleary Gottlieb Pro Bono Counsel, Katherine Hughes, for this PBEye Signatory Showcase podcast. Listen to Hughes speak about creating a successful program in New York that could serve as a blueprint for other states when looking towards cannabis legalization from a social equity and social justice perspective. 

2/22/24 GSK Empowering New Beginnings: Pro Bono Efforts to Secure Identity and Support for the Homeless

In 2023, 148 members of GSK's Legal and Compliance Department global pro bono program served 160 clients,providing over 1200 hours of service. Since 2015, GSK has partnered with Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), an organization that provides free legal services to individuals and families who experience or face homelessness in Philadelphia. GSK lawyers and legal professionals assist with securing birth certificates for clients which addresses homelessness and enables them to apply for housing. GSK also participates in HAP’s SOAR (SSI, Outreach, Access, and Recovery) project to obtain expedited rulings on Supplemental Security Income and SSDI cases to help provide income to individuals who are unable to work due to a disability.

We spoke with GSK Assistant General Counsel, Andy Boczkowski, for this special edition of the Pro Bono Happy Hour Podcast. Listen to how GSK got involved with HAP.

11/16/23 Intel’s Pro Bono Expungement Clinics: PBI Signatory Showcase

In 2021, Intel Corporation partnered with legal service organizations across the country to provide pro bono assistance through expungement clinics in support of their commitment to racial justice. 

With unique volunteer opportunities available for all staff, Intel was able to bring in a much larger group of volunteers beyond attorneys. Their teams quickly saw an overwhelmingly positive impact within communities both socially and financially. Since 2022, Intel has worked with well over 150 clients across the U.S. who have been successful in getting their dismissal petitions granted.

For our latest Signatory Showcase series podcast episode, we spoke with Eva Almirantearena, Intel's Vice President and Associate General Counsel in Antitrust and Commercial Litigation Group about Intel’s incredible pro bono work expunging criminal records.

9/21/23 Pro Bono Immigration Clinics: PBI Signatory Showcase Featuring Archer-Daniels-Midland Company and Skadden

ADM and Skadden formed a pro bono partnership in 2019 to create a series of pro bono days of service, including clinics hosted in Skadden’s office. Since then, they have provided pro bono legal assistance to an array of clients – and over the years the partnership has averaged in assisting 12 to 40 individuals during each clinic. ADM and Skadden have worked most recently with the National Immigrant Justice Center to assist immigrants who had obtained asylee or refugee status in filing their green card applications. Find out more about this impactful project.

7/19/23 Religious Discrimination: PBI Signatory Showcase Featuring Milbank LLP

Religious Discrimination
Milbank LLP

In a pro bono case Milbank represented All Muslim Association of America (AMAA), a non-profit that provides low-cost burial and funeral services to Muslims in the DMV area, against a county in Virginia that created an ordinance that specifically made it impossible for AMAA to put a cemetery on their property. Milbank prevailed, resulting in the county rolling back that provision and awarding the client a large settlement in damages.

We spoke with Milbank LLP Special Counsel, Melanie Westover Yanez, for this special edition of the Pro Bono Happy Hour Podcast.