The Chief Legal Officer’s View of In-House Pro Bono October 20, Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 205 Washington, DC (202) (202) fax
Increasing Number of Programs Fortune 500 Companies Small and Medium Departments ACC Chapters Increasing Participation within Departments Maturation and Expansion 2 Development of In-House Pro Bono
Motivation to do Pro Bono Formalization of Program Why General Counsels Support Pro Bono The Importance of Management Involvement 3 Chief Legal Officer’s Impact on Pro Bono Efforts
Unique Considerations Why In-House Pro Bono is Unique Considerations in Formalizing Pro Bono Programs – Reputational Issues – Aligning with Community Service – Pro Bono Glue Multijurisdictional Practice Limitations 4
In-House Influence on Access to Justice Direct Impact on Clients Influence on Access to Justice – Encourage Law Firms – Support Legal Services – Collaborate with other Legal Departments – Cultivate Culture of Pro Bono 5
Changes in Legal Departments Doing More with Less Convergence Dealing with Complex Rules and Regulations Globalizing the Department How have these changes impacted your pro bono efforts? 6
Commitment to Pro Bono Personal Experience Skill and Morale Development for Staff Members Links to Corporate Social Responsibility Ethics and Professional Responsibilities What are the primary reasons for your commitment? 7
Overcoming Pro Bono Challenges Insurance Size of Department Time Limitations Perceived Incompatibility of Skills and Pro Bono Opportunities What are the obstacles you have faced in starting and sustaining a pro bono program? 8
Pro Bono Partners Law Firms Public Interest Organizations Legal Departments With whom do you partner? 9
Pro Bono Goals Formalizing a Program Cooperation with CSR Increasing Participation Community Involvement Where do you feel in-house pro bono is going and how does that impact your own goals? 10
Pro Bono Resources Eve L. Runyon Director, Corporate Pro Bono (202) CPBO offers a number of resources on its website ( including the following: o The Business Case for In-House Pro Bono: o Pro Bono Development Guide: How to Start an In-House Pro Bono Program: o Best Practices Profiles: o Guide to Multijurisdictional Practice Rules: o Professional Liability Insurance for In-House Pro Bono: o Pro bono opportunities and ideas: CPBO Clinic in a Box ® Program: Pro Bono Marketplace of Ideas: o Benchmarking in-house pro bono: 2014 Benchmarking Survey Report: The Corporate Pro Bono Challenge ® Initiative: The 2013 CPBO Challenge ® Report: The Growth of In-House Pro Bono: o Corporate Pro Bono Who We Are : 11
Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) is a global partnership project of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Pro Bono Institute. Through on-line services ( technical assistance to the in-house community, and educational outreach, CPBO seeks to encourage and support the participation of in-house counsel in pro bono legal services. For more information, please visit us at or contact Eve Runyon, Director of Corporate Pro Bono, at or Developed by Corporate Pro Bono A global partnership project of the Pro Bono Institute and the Association of Corporate CounselPro Bono InstituteAssociation of Corporate Counsel Copyright 2015 Pro Bono Institute CPBO ® is a registered trademark of the Pro Bono Institute The Chief Legal Officer’s View of In-House Pro Bono