1. Chief Legal Officers on the Intersection of Pro Bono and Corporate Social Responsibility October 18, 2016
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Developed by Corporate Pro Bono
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2. Growth of In-House Pro Bono
Increased interest and participation
From a handful to 100s of formal pro bono programs
Increased sophistication
Engages lawyers and other professional staff
Global reach
Across industries
In departments large and small
Focus on external constituents and employee satisfaction

3. Corporate Social Responsibility
Increased interest and participation
Formalized community relations, foundations
Increased sophistication
Comprehensive philanthropic strategy
Funding opportunities
Employee involvement
Cross-functional engagement
Global reach
Across industries
In companies large and small
Focus on external constituents and employee satisfaction

4. Aligning Pro Bono and CSR
There are multiple ways to align CSR and legal pro bono:
Thematic Alignment: identifying projects that support consistent themes or issues supported by community affairs and the legal department (e.g., education, combating homelessness, supporting veterans)
Examples
AIG
Microsoft
Verizon

5. Aligning Pro Bono and CSR
There are multiple ways to align CSR and legal pro bono:
Structural Integration: coordinating community affairs initiatives and policies with those implemented by the legal department (e.g., company-wide volunteer days, foundation managed intranet for volunteers)
Examples
Ford
Goldman Sachs
Salesforce

6. Aligning Pro Bono and CSR
There are multiple ways to align CSR and legal pro bono:
Direct Services and Support: providing legal support to projects and organizations supported by community affairs (e.g., providing general counsel services to nonprofit supported by company foundation, providing legal support to clients of organization supported by company foundation)
Examples:
Allstate
Walmart

7. Aligning Pro Bono and CSR
There are multiple ways to align CSR and legal pro bono:
Partnering on Projects: working directly with community affairs department to organize a legal pro bono event (e.g., hosting pro bono clinics with community affairs department)
Examples:
Capital One
Gap
Prudential Financial

8. Aligning Pro Bono and CSR
There are multiple ways to align CSR and legal pro bono:
Financial Support: coordinating charitable contributions and legal pro bono efforts (e.g., funding legal service organizations, making charitable contributions on behalf of volunteers, Dollars for Doers programs)
Examples:
Intel
Merck

9. Benefits Associated with Alignment
Greater impact on clients and community served
Deepens company’s influence and visibility within the community
Further creates shared value
Increases cross-functional synergies and engagement
Improves employee morale
Allows for efficiencies in planning and communications
Promotes greater support and visibility for legal department initiatives
Provides stability for legal department’s pro bono effort

10. Concerns Associated with Alignment
Diverts resources and/or attention from interests of individual volunteers
May create competition between efforts
Can create confusion between legal pro bono and community service work
Profile for legal pro bono work may be lowered
Conflicts may arise between legal responsibilities and foundation’s interests

11. Chief Legal Officers on the Intersection of Pro Bono and
Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) is a global partnership project of the Association of Corporate Counsel and 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 us at
Chief Legal Officers on the
Intersection of Pro Bono and
Corporate Social Responsibility
Developed by Corporate Pro Bono
A global partnership project of Pro Bono Institute and the Association of Corporate Counsel
Copyright 2016 Pro Bono Institute
CPBO® is a registered trademark of Pro Bono Institute