Pro Bono Net staffers Mirenda Watkins and Adam Friedl share their top takeaways from the Equal Justice Conference, which they both attended (and presented at) for the first time this year. Mirenda Watkins Since joining the Pro Bono Net team, I heard a lot of great things about the Equal Justice Conference (EJC),… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Pro Bono
Subscribe to Pro Bono RSS FeedTop Ten Tech Tips (Spring 2013)
Posted in Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyLSNTAP and Pro Bono Net kicked off their spring webinar series on Wednesday April 24th. First up in the Community Training Series was the ever popular 50 Tech Tips. The presenters included Anna Hineline, of Legal Assistance of Western New York, Leah Peabbles of Colorado Legal Services, Kim Marshall of the Arkansas Legal Services Partnership,… Continue Reading
Why Pro Bono? To Find Balance
Posted in Legal Services, Pro BonoAfter the success of our post, Why Pro Bono? You Mean, Why Not?, we thought it would be interesting to pose the question “Why Pro Bono?” to members of the legal community to discuss the benefits of pro bono work. We are very thankful to Harlene Katzman, Pro Bono Counsel at Simpson Thacher &… Continue Reading
Tackling Resource Access Together at 2013 Nonprofit Technology Conference
Posted in Conferences, Legal Services, Libraries, Pro Bono, Technologyby Xander Karsten and Jillian Theil As part of our work with Pro Bono Net, we frequently attend conferences, which offer us the opportunity to connect with colleagues as well as learn and share trending topics, information and new tools. This year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota was no different. But what sets… Continue Reading
Website for FEMA Appeals Goes Live (and makes TV news!)
Posted in Legal Services, Pro Bono, Technology, Uncategorized, Website LaunchOur segment on NY1. We are really excited to publicly launch femaappeals.org, a website that empowers those who do not have access to a lawyer to create their own concise and well-crafted appeals of FEMA denials. Over 500,000 households in New York and New Jersey applied for emergency assistance… Continue Reading
Wishing Our Friend and Colleague Well, Allison McDermott
Posted in Pro Bono, Staff News, TechnologyWe wanted to share the news that after twelve years at Pro Bono Net, our Deputy Director Allison McDermott is leaving at the end of this month. Allison has been appointed Executive Director of the Havens Relief Fund Society, a New York institution with a long and rich history of providing emergency financial assistance to… Continue Reading
Launched on the New LawHelp Platform
Posted in Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyLawHelp.org, originally developed by Pro Bono Net in 2001 with funding from the Legal Services Corporation, the Open Society Institute, and others, announced last year the rollout of a redesigned platform, dubbed LH3. LawHelp.org is a national, online network of consumer legal information websites that help low income people find timely and accurate legal aid… Continue Reading
Building a Partnership to Help Consumer Debt Victims
Posted in Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyWe are really excited about the potential of our new consumer debt project that launched recently here in New York City in partnership with MFY Legal Services. MFY Legal Services (MFY) is an independent, not-for-profit law firm that provides community-based legal representation to low-income New Yorkers in the areas of housing, public benefits, consumer rights,… Continue Reading
Hone Your Pro Bono Skills with PLI This Spring
Posted in Immigration, Legal Services, Pro BonoSince 2011, the Practising Law Institute (PLI) has helped us champion the necessity of pro bono as one of our Bronze Sponsors. PLI is dedicated to providing attorneys with information and techniques to develop a professional, competitive edge and recognizes the importance of pro bono in helping attorneys cultivate their skills, develop time management and… Continue Reading
Redesigned LawHelp.org Gateway Launches in English and Spanish
Posted in Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyThe past few months saw major changes for one of Pro Bono Net’s oldest programs, LawHelp.org. LawHelp.org helps people of low and moderate incomes find free legal aid programs in their communities, answers to questions about their legal rights and forms to help them with their legal problems. Last year we rolled out a new… Continue Reading
Why Pro Bono? You Mean, Why Not?
Posted in Legal Services, Pro BonoOn January 15, 2013, Pro Bono Net’s Pro Bono Coordinator, Adam Friedl, moderated a panel on Pro Bono Opportunities as part of Practicing Law Institute’s Bridge the Gap program for newly admitted attorneys. The panel featured Laren Spirer (Pro Bono Manager, Debevoise & Plimpton), Melissa Godwin (Senior Associate, Shearman and Sterling), and Klara Ng (Staff… Continue Reading
Connecting with our Network: TIG LawHelp Resources Online
Posted in Conferences, Courts, Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyAs we blogged about last month, Pro Bono Net was well-represented at LSC’s 2013 TIG Conference in Jacksonville, FL with Claudia Johnson, Mirenda Watkins, Xander Karsten, Jillian Theil, Tony Lu, Jim Wiegand and I attending and presenting several workshops. In addition, Pro Bono Net Executive Director, Mark O’Brien attended LSC’s Summit on the Use of… Continue Reading
Pro Bono Net Participates in 13th Annual LSC TIG Conference
Posted in Conferences, Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyThe (lucky) 13th annual Technology Initiative Grants Conference kicks offs this week in Jacksonville, Florida, and we are proud to say that we have been to all 13 of them! This year, Pro Bono Net is well represented at the conference with our LawHelp and LawHelp Interactive staff both in attendance and presenting at many… Continue Reading
CitizenshipWorks Plays Important Role in National Campaign to Help Legal Immigrants
Posted in Immigration, Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyIn November 2012, the New Americans Campaign was launched by a national network of more than 80 legal-service providers, businesses, faith-based organizations, community leaders and foundations. The campaign aims to fundamentally transform the entire system of naturalization assistance to encourage eligible individuals to naturalize, providing legal immigrants the support they need to become Americans. Both… Continue Reading
Visit Pro Bono Net at NLADA in Chicago
Posted in Conferences, Legal Services, Pro Bono, TechnologyPro Bono Net will be attending the NLADA Annual Conference in Chicago this week, and we’d love to see you! Staff from virtually all of our major programs will be there: Executive Director Mark O’Brien, Matthew Burnett from Immigration Advocates Network, Mirenda Watkins from LawHelp Interactive and Xander Karsten from LawHelp. Claudia Johnson will also… Continue Reading
Hurricane Sandy Legal Relief Efforts
Posted in Legal Services, Pro BonoThe legal community has mobilized to respond to Hurricane Sandy, and Pro Bono Net is heavily involved in these efforts. Below we reprint a letter sent to New York-based members of probono.net outlining some upcoming trainings related to the relief efforts. To learn more, visit our Hurricane Sandy Legal Relief page. November 8,… Continue Reading
Celebrate Pro Bono Guest Post: Volunteers of Legal Service
Posted in Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro BonoIn honor of National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro Bono Net has lined up a variety of guest bloggers from law firms, legal aid organizations and elsewhere to share their pro bono ideas and experiences. Check back each day between Oct. 22-26 for new posts, and visit the Celebrate Pro Bono site to learn how… Continue Reading
Celebrate Pro Bono Guest Post: Parisa K. Karaahmet, Fragomen
Posted in Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Immigration, Pro BonoIn honor of National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro Bono Net has lined up a variety of guest bloggers from law firms, legal aid organizations and elsewhere to share their pro bono ideas and experiences. Check back each day between Oct. 22-26 for new posts, and visit the Celebrate Pro Bono site to learn how… Continue Reading
Celebrate Pro Bono Guest Post: Laren Spirer, Debevoise
Posted in Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro BonoIn honor of National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro Bono Net has lined up a variety of guest bloggers from law firms, legal aid organizations and elsewhere to share their pro bono ideas and experiences. Check back each day between Oct. 22-26 for new posts, and visit the Celebrate Pro Bono site to learn how… Continue Reading
Celebrate Pro Bono Guest Post: Christopher Newton, Law Student
Posted in Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro BonoIn honor of National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro Bono Net has lined up a variety of guest bloggers from law firms, legal aid organizations and elsewhere to share their pro bono ideas and experiences. Check back each day between Oct. 22-26 for new posts, and visit the Celebrate Pro Bono site to learn how… Continue Reading
Celebrate Pro Bono Guest Post: Rebecca Behr, Paul, Weiss
Posted in Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro BonoIn honor of National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Pro Bono Net has lined up a variety of guest bloggers from law firms, legal aid organizations and elsewhere to share their pro bono ideas and experiences. Check back each day between Oct. 22-26 for new posts, and visit the Celebrate Pro Bono site to learn how… Continue Reading
Welcoming Librarians to the Access to Justice Movement
Posted in Courts, Legal Services, Libraries, Pro Bono, Technology“Libraries are everywhere … this is a partnership we should encourage.” – Glenn Rawdon, Program Counsel for Technology, Legal Services Corporation This statement is one of the cornerstones of the Libraries and Access to Justice Webinar Series, a training series developed by Pro Bono Net that kicked off on September 13th. More than 150 attendees… Continue Reading
PLI Offers Free Training on Courtroom Skills for Pro Bono Attorneys
Posted in Pro BonoThe Practising Law Institute, one of Pro Bono Net’s corporate sponsors, contributes a guest post this week on its upcoming program: Courtroom Skills for Pro Bono Attorneys. Read on to learn more about this free program. PLI is excited to offer a new pro bono program, Courtroom Skills for Pro Bono Attorneys, to be held… Continue Reading
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky on the Supreme Court, Social Change and Prepping Students for the Law
Posted in Legal Services, Pro BonoOn August 9, 2012, Pro Bono Net had the opportunity to attend the Annual Supreme Court Review: 2011 hosted by our corporate sponsor Practising Law Institute (PLI). This year’s review brought together a distinguished panel of PLI faculty that represented leading constitutional scholars, civil rights experts, a law school dean, and a Supreme Court journalist… Continue Reading