Pro Bono Happy Hour

"We have to challenge the status quo and model the way." In this episode, PBI interviews Jo-Ann Wallace, President and CEO of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), to learn more about NLADA’s continued efforts to assist civil legal aid, public defenders and client and community advocates through the pandemic. Hear how NLADA is addressing unemployment benefits, remote court systems, racial equity, the eviction crisis, and more. This is the seventh episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to Covid-19.

In this episode, PBI interviews Ron Flagg, President of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), to learn more about the LSC eviction study that launched in September 2020. With many out of work and unable to pay rent due to the coronavirus pandemic, the nation finds itself in a heightened eviction crisis. Hear more about the LSC eviction study and what steps LSC is taking to prepare for and address this emergency. This is the sixth episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to Covid-19.

"Don't let good be the enemy of the ok." PBI interviews Becky Troth, Executive Director of the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. As the largest provider of pro bono legal services in DC, the DC Bar Pro Bono Center continues to offer pro bono help amidst the global pandemic. Hear more about how the DC Bar Pro Bono Center is serving the District while keeping the spirit of teamwork, collaboration and volunteerism alive. This is the fifth episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to Covid-19.

"This is about justice." PBI interviews Judge Jonathan Lippman, of counsel at Latham & Watkins in New York City and a former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Judge Lippman is also the chair of New York's COVID-19 Pro Bono Network, a task force created by the New York State Bar Association, in partnership with the state court system. Hear more about the the work of the task force and inspirational words from Judge Lippman about collaboration, leadership, and the future of the legal system. This is the fourth episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to Covid-19.

MassMutual’s General Counsel Michael O’Connor and Corporate Law Lead Counsel and Pro Bono Committee Founder Dorothy Varon join the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Executive Director Silvia Argueta and Baker McKenzie’s Pro Bono Partner and Executive Director of the Pro Bono Practice Angela Vigil to describe how their organizations are effectively communicating with their pro bono clients despite the challenges posed by closed meeting places and social distancing during the Covid-19 crisis. Mike and Dorothy also discuss the unique aspects of a large corporation in a small legal market providing pro bono services. This is the third episode in a special podcast from Pro Bono Institute illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to Covid-19.

Featuring Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP’s Chair – Brad Karp, as well as Robert Atkins and Michael Gertzman, Co-chairs of the firm’s Litigation Department, this is the second in a special series of podcasts from PBI illuminating the legal aid and pro bono community’s response to COVID-19.  In this episode, we hear more about the growing need for legal services as a result of the pandemic and the steps the Paul Weiss firm is taking on its own and in concert with others to address those needs, including creation of the Covid-19 Response Center.

This special episode reveals the depth and breadth of legal assistance needed to address the effects of the pandemic, and how to overcome the obstacles the legal community faces in finding and serving clients with the greatest need for help. PBI speaks to leaders Jim Sandman, Chair of the ABA COVID-19 Task Force, Ron Flagg, President of the Legal Services Corporation, and Jackie Haberfeld, Pro Bono Counsel for Kirkland & Ellis LLP. This series of special PBI podcast episodes provide additional insights from experts at the forefront of the legal industry’s response to the growing need for pro bono assistance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Are you looking to expand your global pro bono practice? PBI talks to Wendy Atrokhov and Harry Redford of Latham & Watkins about global pro bono and the recently updated Global Pro Bono Survey (lw.com/gpbs), produced by Latham & Watkins with the support of PBI. The survey is part of an ongoing effort to promote and stimulate the growth of pro bono representation globally.

In this special episode, we sat down with our fantastic summer interns, The George Washington University Law School's Leah Calabro, the University of Michigan's Drew Sovel, and the University of Michigan Law School's Kyle Pham to talk about hip hop, their experiences at PBI working to promote pro bono and access to justice, ghostwriting, and much more.

PBI talks to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft's Osvaldo Garcia about incorporating pro bono into his life as a busy law firm associate, his experience creating and directing the Cadwalader Black and Latino Association Immigration Clinic, how lawyers can be superheroes, and more.

PBI talks to Betsy Hutson from McGuireWoods about incorporating pro bono into her life as a busy law firm litigator, her experience representing survivors of human trafficking, and more.

Foley Hoag's Rebecca Cazabon talks to us about the firm's pro bono program, the access to justice culture in Boston, advice for summer associates, and more. Bonus music from Rebecca's father, Salvador Cazabon, and his trio, Trio Los Treboles, and their rendition of "Guantanamera" by José Martí and Julián Orbón.

Husch Blackwell's Margaret Richards talks to us about how pro bono "fuels her soul," her career, the firm's pro bono program, having a client cry tears of joy, and more.

We offer a preview of our upcoming Conference (March 27-29), exploring what's new this year, opportunities for networking, cutting-edge issues that will be featured, and more.

We continue our conversation with Pepper Hamilton's Joe Sullivan, discussing how to foster a culture of pro bono at a law firm, utilizing pro bono as a training tool, one of his first pro bono cases in Philadelphia, and more.