(Originally published 4/28/23): Many lawyers take on pro bono cases unaware of the vicarious trauma they can experience when helping clients in extreme situations. Hear Akin Pro Bono partner Lauren Connell and interactive learning expert Ken Rosenblad discuss the types of training that can help lawyers manage their mental health — and become more effective advocates. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails Explore our Pro Bono programs and resou...
Jul 03, 2025•55 min•Ep. 60
Hear from attorneys Keith Y. Cohan and Ryan M. Goldstein of Reid Collins, and Nora Ahmed of the ACLU of Louisiana, about the Justice Lab’s longstanding advocacy for individuals impacted by discriminatory policing — and how the pursuit of justice in dozens of these cases can lead to systemic reforms. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono Memberships and Scholarships for qualif...
May 30, 2025•50 min•Ep. 59
Join host Alicia Aiken and fellow movie buff and attorney John Whitcomb for another lively discussion of how pro bono has been depicted in past Oscar-nominated films, exploring how these stories reflect the popular understanding of access to justice. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono Memberships and Scholarships for qualified organizations and individuals Please note: CLE...
May 02, 2025•58 min•Ep. 58
Pursuing Justice Podcast Episode 57: (Originally Published May 6th, 2022) What does it mean to design a fulfilling life in the law? And how does pro bono fit in? In this encore episode of Pursuing Justice: The Pro Bono Files, host Alicia Aiken talks to Michigan Law professors Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran and attorney Jessica Morton about taking stock and forging your own career path — and how pro bono can help. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro b...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 57
Alicia Aiken speaks with Toby Rothschild, Of Counsel, OneJustice, about his career spanning more than 50 years in legal services, how he motivates others to do pro bono work, and why he’s still dedicated to teaching and giving back in spite of being “retired.” Toby is the winner of PLI’s inaugural Victor J. Rubino Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Training, recognizing his extraordinary contributions as a speaker and program chair for pro bono ethics and related programs. Want to hear about new P...
Feb 27, 2025•47 min•Ep. 56
Non-consensual disclosure of intimate images, commonly known as revenge porn, can have a devastating impact on victims, mostly women. Launched a decade ago to provide pro bono support to these victims, the Cyber Civil Rights Project receives more than 30 requests for assistance per week. Hear from David Bateman and Amy L. Groff, of K&L Gates, and Elisa D’Amico, of D’Amico Law Firm PLLC, about how they stay on top of developments in the law and technology to combat this growing problem. Pleas...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 55
In Part Two of our episode on pro bono legal assistance for journalists, hear how ProJourn lawyers are fighting to ensure that Open Vallejo — a local independent newsroom in California — can shine a light on serious police misconduct and local government. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono Memberships and Scholarships for qualified organizations and individuals Please note...
Dec 18, 2024•47 min•Ep. 54
Local journalism is in crisis — and among its challenges is the urgent need for lawyers to enforce open records laws and assess stories for legal vulnerabilities. In Part One, hear how lawyers from Microsoft and Davis Wright Tremaine joined forces with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Knight Foundation to build ProJourn , an initiative to protect journalists by equipping them with the pro bono legal support they need to tell impactful, truthful stories. Want to hear about...
Dec 18, 2024•39 min•Ep. 53
Matching willing lawyers with appropriate pro bono projects can be a challenge. What are the factors that contribute to their decisions to work on one project or another — or to even get involved at all? Two experts on managing and advising pro bono teams, Julia Wilson and Kelly Tautges, share how in-depth discussions and focus groups have helped them identify the key drivers of pro bono involvement. Related CLE Content: How you write the recruitment email has a big impact on whether folks say y...
Nov 27, 2024•54 min•Ep. 52
Florida recently restored the right to vote to over a million individuals who have served time for felony criminal convictions, but thousands in the state are still disenfranchised due to court fees and other hurdles. Hear from lawyers involved in voting rights restoration — as well as a client looking forward to voting — about the long and complex effort to advocate for full participation in democracy, and how pro bono has made a difference. Host Alicia Aiken speaks with Lena Hopkins of Communi...
Oct 30, 2024•48 min•Ep. 51
Entrepreneurs, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, face a lot of pain points when starting a new business or nonprofit enterprise. Hear how corporate lawyers can ease the pain, and support initiatives that benefit communities, through pro bono legal help with Darryl Maxwell of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Jennifer Kent of Latham & Watkins, and Al Goldberg of Mess Hall in Washington, D.C. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails ...
Sep 25, 2024•45 min•Ep. 50
In this special crossover episode with PLI’s inSecurities podcast, hear about how pro bono clinics can help vulnerable investors protect their hard-earned retirement funds and nest eggs. Alicia Aiken is joined by Kurt Wolfe and Chris Ekimoff for an informative conversation with law professors, a recent law school grad, and an SEC attorney about their work aiding underserved retirees. Listen to the related inSecurities episode: https://www.pli.edu/insecurities/episode-126 Want to hear about new P...
Aug 21, 2024•48 min•Ep. 49
In the second part of Alicia Aiken’s conversation with Lexi Wung, recorded over a year later, Lexi has completed her first year as an associate with Kirkland & Ellis. Has she held on to her passion for pro bono? Hear what her experience has been like as she takes on “interesting, difficult, but meaningful” pro bono cases while building her skills in billable client work. Go back and listen to Part One Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails ...
Jul 26, 2024•37 min•Ep. 48
For a law student, it can be hard to figure out what a law firm job will be like — and whether pro bono will really be supported as part of regular work life. In the first of a two-part episode, hear from Lexi Wung, then a recent Michigan law grad entering a Big Law firm. She shares her aspirations, questions, and fears as an up-and-coming first-generation lawyer with a passion for social justice. Listen to Part 2 Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bon...
Jul 26, 2024•29 min•Ep. 47
In this bonus episode, Ryan Haygood and Ezra Rosenberg — recently featured in the Protecting Voting Rights episode — share how their backgrounds led to their professional focus on voter advocacy. Related CLE Program: You may also be interested in Voter Rights 2024 . Attendees will examine current voting laws and challenges in the United States and learn how attorneys can help protect voting rights. Learn more, register and earn CLE credit. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscr...
May 16, 2024•32 min•Ep. 46
Laws restricting the ability to vote, such as unnecessarily strict voter ID requirements, disproportionately impact voters of color. Hear a conversation with Ezra Rosenberg ( Voter Rights 2024 Program Chair) and Ryan Haygood about how pro bono advocacy plays a crucial role in the ongoing fight to protect voters’ rights and fulfill the American vision of ballot access for all eligible voters. Related CLE Program: You may also be interested in Voter Rights 2024 . Attendees will examine current vot...
Apr 25, 2024•42 min•Ep. 45
Host Alicia Aiken welcomes fellow movie buff and attorney John Whitcomb for a lively discussion of how pro bono has been depicted in past Oscar-nominated films — and how these stories reflect the popular understanding of access to justice. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono Memberships and Scholarships for qualified organizations and individuals...
Apr 13, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 44
There is a looming crisis in Philadelphia, where the poverty rate is high, the housing stock is old, and gentrification is transforming traditionally Black neighborhoods. The ability to pass on generational wealth is at risk, as families who thought they legally inherited their homes encounter “tangled titles” and other legal complications. Learn how Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia and the pro bono hub Philly VIP are teaming up to clear titles and provide estate planning for the residents of t...
Feb 29, 2024•48 min•Ep. 43
Finding accurate, locally specific information about the rights of homeless youth can be challenging. To address that problem, Baker & McKenzie leads pro bono teams that create Homeless Youth Handbooks for each state. Learn how Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and the in-house legal team from Enterprise Mobility joined up with Baker & McKenzie to put good information in the hands of young Missourians who need it. PLI is proud to offer programs , Pro Bono Memberships , and scholarships ...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 42
In this year-end episode, host Alicia Aiken sits down with producer Daniel Painitz to chat about Pursuing Justice’s coverage of hot topics in the news, issues of interest to in-house counsel, ethical storytelling, helping veterans and artists — and much more. PLI is proud to support the essential public service work of the legal profession: Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono Memberships and Scholarships for qualified organizations and individuals...
Dec 29, 2023•44 min•Ep. 41
In the legal space, Pro Bono typically means working for free — volunteering your time and legal skills. What if there’s another way to serve the public good? In this episode, meet Daissy Dominguez and Samoane Williams and learn about the Justice Entrepreneurs Project, which creates law firms designed to meet working families’ legal needs with predictable, transparent fees. Related Links: To find incubators that train lawyers to start firms aimed at meeting the needs of low and middle income fam...
Dec 20, 2023•47 min•Ep. 40
Join host Alicia Aiken for a field trip to a pro bono clinic run by Katten and Legal Aid Chicago at the Jose De Diego School in Chicago. Listen in as attorneys tackle tricky questions on the spot and hear how the clinic helps dozens of clients with family law, evictions, expungements, and more. Special thanks to Jonathan Baum, Allison Clark, Matt Doran, Adrian Jonak, Zach Schmitz, and Brett Wilson of Katten; Thomas Burnett, Niki Hua, and Alena Prcela of Northwestern Law School; and Melissa Barto...
Nov 01, 2023•55 min•Ep. 39
“When they hear that you're a veteran, it’s an immediate connection. They know that I can understand what they’re talking about … because I lived through it too.” – Monica De Martin The veteran population is aging rapidly, and many senior vets need legal assistance with end-of-life planning, including wills. Monica De Martin, Director ‒ Counsel, Internal Investigations at Société Générale and a veteran of the Australian Royal Navy, and Peter Kempner, Legal Director and Senior Law Project Directo...
Oct 04, 2023•38 min•Ep. 38
When hurricanes, floods, fires — and sometimes all of the above — strike, how can lawyers help individuals and communities respond and recover? In this encore episode, Alicia Aiken talks to seasoned disaster relief attorneys about how pro bono can make a difference in disasters, and how lawyers can prepare to pitch in. Related CLE content: Connect with our on-demand pro bono disaster relief resources to help prepare you to assist disaster survivors in critical need . PLI is proud to support the ...
Aug 23, 2023•42 min•Ep. 37
The vast majority of artists working today are not well known or well paid. And those artists with fewer resources are often those with the greatest need for legal counsel, from protecting their intellectual property to drawing up contracts and more. In this episode, Amy Lehman, of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and Jordan Miner Romanoff, of BNY Mellon, discuss the many ways in which pro bono lawyers can help support artists — and the arts. PLI is proud to offer programs , Pro Bono Memberships ...
Jul 28, 2023•43 min•Ep. 36
Trauma-informed lawyering isn’t just helpful for victims of violence. In this episode, Nefertiti J. Alexander, a litigation partner and expert on trauma-informed practice, shares how this approach can strengthen your relationship with all kinds of clients, both pro bono and commercial, by helping you understand how they engage with the world. Related Links: Trauma-Informed Legal Advocacy Project Trauma-Informed Lawyering: Strategies and Best Practices - Practising Law Institute Vicarious Trauma ...
Jun 30, 2023•40 min•Ep. 35
Pro bono stories can be compelling, informative, and persuasive, but they can also carry risks for clients. In this episode, Maricarmen Garza of the Tahirih Justice Center and Erin Kinsella of the Practising Law Institute speak with host Alicia Aiken about how the principles of ethical storytelling and client confidentiality can help protect probono clients and also shape better narratives. Related Links: Voice of Witness – a nonprofit focused on collecting oral histories: https://voiceofwitness...
Jun 20, 2023•49 min•Ep. 34
Many lawyers take on probono cases unaware of the vicarious trauma they can experience when helping clients in extreme situations. Hear Akin Pro Bono partner Lauren Connell and interactive learning expert Ken Rosenblad discuss the types of training that can help lawyers manage their mental health — and become more effective advocates. Related CLE Content: Lawyering From a Trauma-Informed Perspective 2024: Best Practices for Nonprofit and Pro Bono Legal Service Providers - Practising Law Institut...
Apr 28, 2023•53 min•Ep. 33
In-house counsel face structural challenges to getting involved in pro bono projects. In this episode, hear how Amazon’s in-house team joined forces with a Big Law firm and a social services organization to make a difference for unhoused people in Seattle. PLI is proud to offer programs , Pro Bono Memberships , and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession....
Apr 05, 2023•50 min•Ep. 32
Entrepreneurship is one traditional path to building stability and strengthening communities in the United States, but many Black and Brown business owners lack access to the capital they need to sustain and grow their business ideas. In light of the ongoing conversations around righting the effects of historical discrimination (see Episode 28, on Bruce’s Beach) , we revisit an earlier episode on helping small business owners in Detroit. This episode takes a close look at how pro bono Detroit la...
Feb 16, 2023•35 min•Ep. 31
