In this bonus episode, hear how the partner who led the unprecedented land return of Bruce’s Beach to its rightful owners (covered in Episode 28 ) developed his pro bono vision and skills from early in his career, working on a range of matters including advocacy for Holocaust victims, disability rights, and arts and culture. PLI is proud to offer programs , pro bono memberships , and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession....
Jan 18, 2023•20 min•Ep. 30
Bruce’s Beach, in Southern California, represents the first example in the United States of reparations to a family harmed by the racist use of eminent domain. This agreement — and the family’s recent sale of the land back to L.A. County for $20 million — was made possible by careful, skilled pro bono representation. Hear from George C. Fatheree III, partner at Sidley & Austin and lead counsel for the Bruce family’s descendants, about this unprecedented matter — and why he found it personall...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 29
What can be done when survivors of domestic violence face judges who are unprepared to handle their cases? Hear from Ben Weinberg, Pro Bono Partner at Dentons in Chicago, about how an Orders of Protection Appellate Project is helping pro bono clients get a second chance at getting justice from the courts. Related Links: If the topic of this episode brings up anything for you or someone you care about, you can reach out for support at: National Domestic Violence Hotline, www.thehotline.org , 1-80...
Dec 22, 2022•41 min•Ep. 28
What happens when a BigLaw firm brings its resources to bear on a wrongful conviction case? In Part 2 of this dramatic story, hear from a Milbank LLP partner and counsel about their successful pro bono advocacy for a wrongfully imprisoned client who was denied release even after his murder conviction was overturned. Related Links: National Registry of Exonerations profile of Mark Purnell https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=6318 Press Release: Milbank Wins D...
Nov 21, 2022•43 min•Ep. 27
As a teenager, Mark Purnell was convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. After years of self-advocacy, his case caught the attention of pro bono counsel. Hear about their dramatic fight for his exoneration. Related Links: National Registry of Exonerations profile of Mark Purnell https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=6318 Press Release: Milbank Wins Dismissal of Murder Conviction, Freeing Innocent Man After Nearly 16 Years in Prison https://www.milbank.com/en/n...
Nov 18, 2022•41 min•Ep. 26
New associates have a lot of questions about pro bono. Sometimes, they might not even know what questions they should have. In this special episode, three attorneys offer a “top 10” list of advice and insights for those who are getting started — or looking to jump-start their pro bono practice. PLI is proud to offer programs , Pro Bono Memberships , and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession....
Sep 07, 2022•40 min•Ep. 25
What if your pro bono work could fundamentally restructure the delivery of justice for your whole community? In this episode, two attorneys with deep experience in advocating for the Right to Counsel — and tenants’ rights in New York City Housing Court, in particular — discuss how pro bono has made a real difference in access to justice, from Gideon to today. Related Links: National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel Gideon v. Wainwright. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://w...
Aug 04, 2022•39 min•Ep. 24
Following Episode 21 on pro bono assistance to disasters, host Alicia Aiken revisits our inaugural episode, which tells the story of how a corporate attorney at Schulte Roth & Zabel stepped up to help Partners In Health get clearance to deliver aid after a devastating earthquake in Haiti. This encore episode features a previously unreleased conversation with PIH co-founder Ophelia Dahl. PLI is proud to offer programs , pro bono memberships , and scholarships to support the essential public s...
Jun 30, 2022•33 min•Ep. 23
When hurricanes, floods, fires — and sometimes all of the above — strike, how can lawyers help individuals and communities respond and recover? In this 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 essenti...
Jun 02, 2022•40 min•Ep. 22
“This isn’t about surviving. This is about thriving.” – Bridgette Carr What does it mean to design a fulfilling life in the law? And how does pro bono fit in? In this month’s episode of Pursuing Justice: The Pro Bono Files, host Alicia Aiken talks to Michigan Law professors Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran and Jessica Morton of Democracy Forward about taking stock and forging your own path — and how pro bono can help. PLI is proud to offer programs , pro bono memberships , and scholarships to s...
May 06, 2022•49 min•Ep. 21
Nonprofit board service is “a different way of bringing your legal talent to your volunteer work,” says Pursuing Justice podcast host Alicia Aiken. In this month’s episode, she interviews Judy Siegel of the Pro Bono Partnership, and Raphael Stern of Lawyers Alliance for New York, on what lawyers should know about the benefits of serving on a board. This episode features the co-chairs of PLI’s program Serving on a Nonprofit Board 2022: Practical and Ethical Considerations for Attorneys. For more ...
Mar 30, 2022•42 min•Ep. 20
The stakes are high for low-income tenants facing the threat of eviction. In this month’s episode of Pursuing Justice: The Pro Bono Files, learn why pro bono representation is essential for renters facing outsized rent hikes, uninhabitable properties, and other challenges to their housing. This program features Lorraine A. López , the chairperson of PLI's program " California Eviction Defense: Protecting Low-Income Tenants 2022" Link to episode page on PLI.edu: https://www.pli.edu/probono/probon...
Feb 24, 2022•43 min•Ep. 19
Unaccompanied immigrant children, often fleeing dangerous situations in their countries of origin, need legal representation when they appear in immigration court. Want to get involved and make a profound difference in the life of a child? This month “Pursuing Justice: The Pro Bono Files” talks with three lawyers about the critical role of volunteer lawyers in these kinds of cases, and the training that is available to get you started. This program features speakers from PLI's program " Represen...
Jan 25, 2022•32 min•Ep. 18
Are you (or your law firm) thinking about taking on a pro bono asylum case? Hear how three commercial litigators at Forman Watkins, with the guidance and support of the Mississippi Center for Justice, worked on two pro bono asylum cases. What drew them to take on this kind of pro bono case? What were their “takeaways”? What was the experience like for them both personally and professionally? Explore current and upcoming immigration programs available live and on-demand Link to episode page on PL...
Oct 15, 2021•56 min•Ep. 17
Running a pro bono program costs money ‒ and Indiana’s statewide legal services program faced a serious financial challenge. Find out how Indiana’s pro bono stakeholders pulled together and, with a law firm’s help, turned a financial crisis into an opportunity. PLI is proud to offer programs , pro bono memberships , and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession....
Jul 22, 2021•42 min•Ep. 16
In Episode 14, we met three of the lawyers who worked on landmark litigation to transform New Mexico’s education system. In this bonus episode we hear from Martin Estrada, Ernest Herrera and Preston Sanchez about their interesting, but very different paths to the legal profession.
Mar 15, 2021•18 min•Ep. 15
What does an adequate public education look like? And what happens when a state fails to provide an adequate education to its Latino, Native American, and other children? Meet three lawyers who worked as part of a team of civil rights lawyers and pro bono attorneys in the consolidated education adequacy case Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico, a landmark decision that is laying the groundwork to transform public education in New Mexico.
Mar 15, 2021•43 min•Ep. 14
In this special two-part episode, we turn the tables and interview the host of Pursuing Justice, legal services veteran Alicia Aiken, and engage in some “real talk” about her unique combination of experiences with pro bono work. How have her ideas about what works (and what doesn’t work) in representing pro bono clients changed? In Part 2 of our conversation, Alicia is very open about her experiences as a pro bono volunteer after she left legal aid, including the times when she wasn’t volunteeri...
Jan 11, 2021•38 min•Ep. 13
In this special two-part episode, we turn the tables and interview the host of Pursuing Justice, legal services veteran Alicia Aiken, and engage in some “real talk” about her unique combination of experiences with pro bono work. How have her ideas about what works (and what doesn’t work) in representing pro bono clients changed? In Part 1 of our conversation, Lish talks about being a full-time non-profit lawyer, one who was initially skeptical about pro bono lawyers, but eventually embraced the ...
Jan 11, 2021•38 min•Ep. 12
Over half a million veterans have received less-than-honorable discharges (known as “bad paper”) since 1980. This prevents them from accessing veterans’ services, often with devastating results. On this episode of PLI's Pursuing Justice hear how Matt Caplan, a partner with Cooley LLP, and Holly Christian, a pro bono manager and staff attorney with Swords to Plowshares dedicate their time to helping veterans secure their benefits. ----more---- Link to the podcast page on pli.edu Link to the Pursu...
Nov 11, 2020•43 min•Ep. 11
The United States is having a national conversation about historical discrimination against people of color. Many lawyers are also working on the question of “How do we address the economic inequalities caused by discrimination?” Entrepreneurship is one traditional path to building stability and strengthening communities in the U.S., but many Black and Brown business owners lack access to the capital they need to sustain and grow their business ideas. This episode of Pursuing Justice takes a clo...
Oct 07, 2020•30 min•Ep. 10
The question we are looking at today is: Should businesses get free legal help? When put like that, your gut reaction might be 'No'. But, the sudden changes caused by COVID-19 have shone a light on how important small businesses are. In fact 89% of US businesses have fewer than 20 employees. Their impact on our lives is not small at all. COVID-19 might have caused many of us to see small business in a different way, but there are lawyers who have been noticing and recognizing small businesses’ v...
Sep 02, 2020•34 min•Ep. 9
As soon as it became clear that COVID-19 was going to have a major impact on the United States, Brad Karp, Chairman of the law firm Paul, Weiss, started thinking about how he could help people get through what was coming. From the firm's headquarters in New York City, Brad emailed 1,000 Paul, Weiss lawyers to ask one simple question, "Who wants to work on a pro bono project to help people and small businesses affected by COVID-19?" Brad and his colleagues, Robert Atkins and Jean McLoughlin, disc...
Apr 30, 2020•39 min•Ep. 8
Pro bono work is usually focused on the power of legal representation. How does one organization use pro bono legal help to promote fundamental change? Can pro bono lawyers be mobilized to amplify the voices of the marginalized? Pursuing Justice sits down with Ariadna Godreau Aubert to explore how Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico is working with pro bono lawyers to educate and partner with communities to advocate for a more responsive legal system. Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this po...
Dec 04, 2019•22 min•Ep. 7
How does the world of private practice work successfully with that of nonprofits? Ultimately both sides want to do good and find the best results for their pro bono clients in desperate need of representation and resolution. Pursuing Justice sits down with Brenna DeVaney, Director of Skadden’s global pro bono practice; Jennifer Kroman, Director of Cleary Gottlieb’s pro bono practice; and Annie Pineda, Director of Pro Bono at The Bronx Defenders, to glean best practices for building successful wo...
Nov 27, 2019•22 min•Ep. 6
A single mother is raising four sons when her newborn stops gaining weight. She brings the child to the hospital for a diagnosis, but someone makes a call to the child abuse hotline. Later that night, she answers her door – and the nightmare begins. Having to send your child away while the authorities investigate you is a mother’s worst nightmare. In this case, it was just the beginning, as the mother later discovered that she had been placed on a child abuse list which would restrict how she co...
Nov 20, 2019•22 min•Ep. 5
Big Law lawyers are among the best-resourced counsel out there, and they are eager to provide pro bono assistance for those that need it most. But legal issues faced by women dealing with poverty and domestic violence are a far cry from the legal needs of corporations and multinational organizations. Pursuing Justice explores how one organization is mentoring Big Law lawyers to harness their amazing potential as pro bono lawyers. We speak with Immigration, Domestic Violence, and Human Traffickin...
Nov 13, 2019•20 min•Ep. 4
Imagine waking up tomorrow and being sued for tens of thousands of dollars to pay your ex-husband’s debt — a debt you had no part in creating. Dorothy thought her difficult divorce was far behind her, but years later, her ex-husband had amassed a debt which threatened to evict her from her own home. Facing a committed collection lawyer, she felt overwhelmed until a smart pro bono team found a creative way to solve this legal problem and save her home. Please note: CLE is not offered for listenin...
Nov 06, 2019•23 min•Ep. 3
Millions of low-income Californians face pressing legal problems without access to legal help. Julia R. Wilson, CEO of OneJustice, explains how the nonprofit she leads has provided legal assistance to more than a quarter-million residents of the Golden State. Because lawyers are largely based in cities, pro bono services are predominantly dedicated to urban areas, often leaving rural communities to fend for themselves. OneJustice brings life-changing legal help to those in need by transforming t...
Oct 30, 2019•17 min•Ep. 2
A natural disaster strikes Haiti. A plane full of medical volunteers and supplies sits on a tarmac hundreds of miles away waiting for clearance. What’s stopping them from delivering this much needed cargo? And how does a corporate attorney in New York solve the problem? In 2010, Haiti was devastated by a catastrophic earthquake that registered 7.0 on the Richter scale. Relief efforts, medical assistance and supplies were urgently needed. Partners In Health, a Boston-based nonprofit health care o...
Oct 18, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1
