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 o...
Mar 25, 2025•14 min•Ep. 149
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 Speciali...
Dec 12, 2024•18 min•Ep. 148
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 profe...
Oct 24, 2024•25 min•Ep. 147
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...
Aug 22, 2024•22 min•Ep. 146
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 en...
Jun 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 145
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 blue...
Apr 24, 2024•16 min•Ep. 144
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. GS...
Feb 22, 2024•15 min•Ep. 143
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 client...
Nov 16, 2023•12 min•Ep. 142
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 gree...
Sep 21, 2023•19 min•Ep. 141
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 ...
Jul 19, 2023•16 min•Ep. 140
Racial Justice Crowell & Moring On June 28, 2021, in a victory for racial justice, a settlement was announced on behalf of four residents of Baltimore’s Harlem Park, a predominately Black neighborhood, who filed a federal court lawsuit against the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) and former Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. The residents’ lawsuit charged that their state and federal constitutional rights were violated during a six-day, multi-block lockdown of their neighborhood followin...
May 25, 2023•13 min•Ep. 139
Robins Kaplan Pro Bono and Indigenous People In a pro bono case that has drawn national attention, Robins Kaplan sued the federal government on behalf of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services closed the only emergency room on the Rosebud Reservation. On behalf of the Tribe, Robins Kaplan attorneys argued that the closure of the emergency room violated the federal government’s treaty duty to provide the Tribe with adequate health care services. We spoke wi...
Mar 29, 2023•13 min•Ep. 138
Attorney Fees Reed Smith In this episode, PBI interviews Chris Walters, Senior Pro Bono Counsel at Reed Smith. Chris describes Reed Smith’s successful appeal in the Ninth Circuit of a lower court’s refusal to grant Reed Smith attorney fees in conjunction with the firm’s pro bono representation of a mistreated prisoner in the California correctional system. Listen and learn about best practices when litigating claims for attorney fees in prisoner pro bono cases and how this precedent affects the ...
Feb 16, 2023•18 min•Ep. 137
Expanding Access to Justice DLA Piper For 14 years, Mexico Appleseed has been growing a network of law firms and corporate counsel engaging in pro bono in Mexico. In this episode, NihadMansour, Assistant Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project® interviews Lisa Dewey, Pro Bono Partner, in DLA Piper’s Washington DC office, Maru Cortazar Executive Director of Mexico Appleseed and Gabriela Alaña, Partner, in DLA Piper’s Mexico City Office. Hear how Mexico Appleseed and DLA Piper have been working togeth...
Sep 01, 2022•29 min•Ep. 136
Assistance for Ukraine Interview with L4GG’s Lauren Worsek Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has given rise to many legal needs for those in Ukraine. In this episode, Nihad Mansour, Assistant Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project® interviews Lauren Worsek, Director of Pro Bono Initiatives at Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG). Hear more about L4GG’s pro bono program offering assistance to those in Ukraine and how law firms and corporations can get involved.
Jun 30, 2022•13 min•Ep. 135
Well-Being and Pro Bono Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP In honor of May Mental Health Awareness Month, PBI takes a look at what one firm, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, is doing to support health & wellness through pro bono. In this episode, Nihad interviews Jonathan Baum, Senior Counsel and Director of Pro Bono Services, and Janet Hoffman, Senior Counsel and Pro Bono Counsel. Hear ways in which Katten is embracing pro bono and supporting mental health and well-being.
May 31, 2022•18 min•Ep. 134
Since 2020, many law firms have incorporated new racial justice efforts into their pro bono programs. Some have hired pro bono professional staff whose primary focus is to expand the firm’s racial justice work. Others have expanded the roles and responsibilities of their pro bono professionals to include racial justice. In this episode, hear from pro bono professional staff focused on racial justice: Diane Lucas, Pro Bono Counsel for Racial Justice Initiative at Davis Polk, Quinncy McNeal, Pro B...
Mar 31, 2022•35 min•Ep. 133
As we wind down 2021 and gear up for 2022, PBI takes a look back at 2020, which was an extraordinary year for legal pro bono, despite the many challenges. In this episode, Nihad interviews members of the PBI Team, Eve Runyon, President & CEO, Erik Swenson, Director of Law Firm Pro Bono Project and Alyssa Saunders, Director of Corporate Pro Bono. Hear Eve, Erik, and Alyssa share reflections on the 2021 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Initiative and the 2021 Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO...
Dec 16, 2021•29 min•Ep. 132
In this episode, PBI interviews access to justice leaders, Tony West, Karen Lash, and Maha Jweied who all played an integral part in leading the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) first office for Access to Justice, which was formally established in 2016. Hear Tony, Karen, and Maha share more about the exciting recent announcements by the President and Attorney General on relaunching some of the work of the former Office for Access to Justice and what this means for the Office for Access to Justice a...
Jul 22, 2021•31 min•Ep. 3
"We have to challenge the status quo and model the way." In this episode, PBI interviews Jo-Ann Wallace, President and CEO of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), to learn more about NLADA’s continued efforts to assist civil legal aid, public defenders and client and community advocates through the pandemic. Hear how NLADA is addressing unemployment benefits, remote court systems, racial equity, the eviction crisis, and more. This is the seventh episode in a special podcast f...
May 07, 2021•33 min
In this episode, PBI interviews Ron Flagg, President of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), to learn more about the LSC eviction study that launched in September 2020. With many out of work and unable to pay rent due to the coronavirus pandemic, the nation finds itself in a heightened eviction crisis. Hear more about the LSC eviction study and what steps LSC is taking to prepare for and address this emergency. This is the sixth episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating ...
Dec 22, 2020•18 min
"Don't let good be the enemy of the ok." PBI interviews Becky Troth, Executive Director of the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. As the largest provider of pro bono legal services in DC, the DC Bar Pro Bono Center continues to offer pro bono help amidst the global pandemic. Hear more about how the DC Bar Pro Bono Center is serving the District while keeping the spirit of teamwork, collaboration and volunteerism alive. This is the fifth episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating the ...
Nov 04, 2020•21 min
"This is about justice." PBI interviews Judge Jonathan Lippman, of counsel at Latham & Watkins in New York City and a former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Judge Lippman is also the chair of New York's COVID-19 Pro Bono Network, a task force created by the New York State Bar Association, in partnership with the state court system. Hear more about the the work of the task force and inspirational words from Judge Lippman about collaboration, leadership, and the future of t...
Jul 16, 2020•30 min
MassMutual’s General Counsel Michael O’Connor and Corporate Law Lead Counsel and Pro Bono Committee Founder Dorothy Varon join the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Executive Director Silvia Argueta and Baker McKenzie’s Pro Bono Partner and Executive Director of the Pro Bono Practice Angela Vigil to describe how their organizations are effectively communicating with their pro bono clients despite the challenges posed by closed meeting places and social distancing during the Covid-19 crisis. M...
May 08, 2020•26 min
Featuring Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP’s Chair – Brad Karp, as well as Robert Atkins and Michael Gertzman, Co-chairs of the firm’s Litigation Department, this is the second in a special series of podcasts from PBI illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to COVID-19. In this episode, we hear more about the growing need for legal services as a result of the pandemic and the steps the Paul Weiss firm is taking on its own and in concert with others to address...
Apr 21, 2020•15 min
This special episode reveals the depth and breadth of legal assistance needed to address the effects of the pandemic, and how to overcome the obstacles the legal community faces in finding and serving clients with the greatest need for help. PBI speaks to leaders Jim Sandman, Chair of the ABA COVID-19 Task Force, Ron Flagg, President of the Legal Services Corporation, and Jackie Haberfeld, Pro Bono Counsel for Kirkland & Ellis LLP. This series of special PBI podcast episodes provide addition...
Apr 14, 2020•40 min
Are you looking to expand your global pro bono practice? PBI talks to Wendy Atrokhov and Harry Redford of Latham & Watkins about global pro bono and the recently updated Global Pro Bono Survey (lw.com/gpbs), produced by Latham & Watkins with the support of PBI. The survey is part of an ongoing effort to promote and stimulate the growth of pro bono representation globally.
Mar 11, 2020•30 min
In this special episode, we sat down with our fantastic summer interns, The George Washington University Law School's Leah Calabro, the University of Michigan's Drew Sovel, and the University of Michigan Law School's Kyle Pham to talk about hip hop, their experiences at PBI working to promote pro bono and access to justice, ghostwriting, and much more.
Sep 19, 2019•25 min
PBI talks to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft's Osvaldo Garcia about incorporating pro bono into his life as a busy law firm associate, his experience creating and directing the Cadwalader Black and Latino Association Immigration Clinic, how lawyers can be superheroes, and more.
Aug 01, 2019•43 min
PBI talks to Betsy Hutson from McGuireWoods about incorporating pro bono into her life as a busy law firm litigator, her experience representing survivors of human trafficking, and more.
Jul 11, 2019•49 min
