Pursuing Justice: The Pro Bono Files

Laws restricting the ability to vote, such as voter ID requirements, disproportionately impact voters of color. Hear a conversation with Ezra Rosenberg 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. PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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. Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono Memberships and Scholarships for qualified organizations and individuals

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 the Sharswood neighborhood. PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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 to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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 offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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 families, check out the ABA Lawyer Incubator Directory: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/delivery_legal_services/initiatives_awards/program_main/program_directory/ To get a better understanding of how the U.S. measures “poverty”, you can go to HHS’s Explanation of the Federal Poverty Guidelines: https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines Information about the number of cases filed by self-represented litigants camse from the Administration Office of Illinois Courts 2020 Annual Report: https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/ce15804b-b4a7-4503-8ba9-4c609b160616/2020%20Annual%20Report%20Administrative%20Summary.pdf PLI is proud to support the essential public service work of the legal profession. Pro Bono programs and resourcesPro Bono Memberships and Scholarships

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 Bartolomei, Melissa Picciola, Tara Carone, and Jordan Sundt of Legal Aid Chicago. PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

“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 Director with Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), talk about how pro bono assistance benefits these vets — and creates meaningful experiences for volunteers. PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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.

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, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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 and Resilience: Creating Space to Care for Yourself and Your Clients - Practising Law Institute Working with Domestic Violence Survivors - Practising Law Institute Interviewing Pro Bono Clients - Practising Law Institute Strategic Listening for Lawyers 2022 - Practising Law Institute PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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.org/ethical-storytelling-principles/ Ethical Storytelling – nonprofit and comms experts: https://ethicalstorytelling.com/ Peace Corps – ethical storytelling workbook and video: https://www.peacecorps.gov/returned-volunteers/share-your-experience/ PLI is proud to offer programs, pro bono memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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 Links: Vicarious Trauma and Service Provider Wellness - Practising Law Institute Working with Domestic Violence Survivors - Practising Law Institute Interviewing Pro Bono Clients - Practising Law Institute Interactive Learning Center (ILC) Homepage - Practising Law Institute PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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.

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 lawyers are partnering with the grassroots group Osborn Business Association to support local entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their businesses and have access to the capital they need to grow and succeed. Episode page on PLI.edu Pursuing Justice homepage PLI is proud to offer programs, pro bono memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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.

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 personally and professionally compelling. Link to a bonus episode where you can hear more about George’s path into real estate law and his approach to pro bono work. PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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, 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224 National Sexual Assault Hotline, www.rainn.org/resources, 1-800-656-4673 If the topic of this episode inspires you to get involved in appeals for domestic violence survivors, you can learn about DV LEAP, an appellate project at the Network for Victim Recovery DC, at https://www.nvrdc.org/dv-leap. If you are interested in supporting appellate advocacy for survivors or being contacted about the next NVRDC pro bono training, please email probono@nvrdc.org. The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, the leading domestic violence advocacy organization in Illinois, honored Dentons with its distinguished Leadership Award for its pro bono work related to the Order of Protection Appeals project. https://www.dentons.com/en/about-dentons/news-events-and-awards/news/2022/october/dentons-receives-leadership-award-for-domestic-violence-advocacy ----more---- PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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 Dismissal of Murder Conviction, Freeing Innocent Man After Nearly 16 Years in Prison https://www.milbank.com/en/news/milbank-wins-dismissal-of-murder-conviction-freeing-innocent-man-after-nearly-16-years-in-prison.html Delaware Supreme Court: Purnell v. Delaware, 254 A.3d 1053 (Del. 2021) https://law.justia.com/cases/delaware/supreme-court/2021/113-2020.html Delaware Innocence Project https://www.innocencede.org/ National Innocence Project https://innocenceproject.org/about/ PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

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/news/milbank-wins-dismissal-of-murder-conviction-freeing-innocent-man-after-nearly-16-years-in-prison.html Delaware Supreme Court: Purnell v. Delaware, 254 A.3d 1053 (Del. 2021) https://law.justia.com/cases/delaware/supreme-court/2021/113-2020.html Delaware Innocence Project https://www.innocencede.org/ National Innocence Project https://innocenceproject.org/about/ PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.