Last week, the policy paradigm that awaits immigrant communities in 2025 became clearer and more urgent. We know this moment is bringing up a tremendous amount of fear, but we alongside hundreds of our advocate partners across the nation stand ready to protect and defend the rights of immigrants across our country. 

We wanted to let our community know how Pro Bono Net and our Justicia Lab team are preparing for this moment, and share some of our resources that may be helpful for your own networks:

  • We’re making sure that people can more easily find and connect with trusted legal services through Immigration Law Help and the Immigration Advocates Network;
  • We’re working to provide up to date information on the changing legal landscape for immigrants through the Ready to Stay coalition and Immi;
  • We’re working to help immigrants apply for a form of immigration relief and naturalization through our online tool Citizenshipworks;
  • We’re expanding our tools that support immigrant workers through our workplace justice initiative ¡Reclamo! – designed to empower immigrant workers to know their rights, file wage theft claims, and fight back against other forms of labor exploitation.

If you’re interested in supporting our rapid-response work to update these critical legal rights resources and referral tools, which thousands of immigrants and our network of over 200 partners across the US rely on, please reach out or visit our donate page.

And if you know of an organization that supports immigrants and might benefit from these resources, please consider sharing this with them.

Thank you for your support during this time. Together, we can help keep people safe, informed, and supported.

In unity,

Rodrigo, Liz & the Pro Bono Net team

Dear Pro Bono Net Partners and Supporters,

Today’s election results mark a pivotal moment for all who believe in the right of every individual to live safely, securely, free from discrimination, and treated with dignity by powerful institutions. 

We know that policy decisions made at every level of government have real-life consequences for the communities we serve, and that our programs that provide safe, accurate legal information and support will be a lifeline for millions in the coming period. We also know that the expertise of lawyers, advocates and volunteers will be critical to the vulnerable communities we serve in navigating a rapidly changing policy landscape. And we believe that secure, nonprofit digital tools can be an equalizing force for people seeking safety, justice, and opportunity. 

Our team has strategized for the possibilities we now face. Today, we gathered again to discuss the road ahead and reflected on the importance of living our values – of integrity, respect, care, and determination – through that work.

Throughout its 25-year history, Pro Bono Net has used justice, creativity, and transformative collaborations to confront some of our country’s most challenging times. We remain committed to building a more just future for all. Know that we are here with you, and the communities you serve, at each step of the way.

Thank you for your humanity, trust, and belief in our mission.  

In community,

Liz Keith & Rodrigo Camarena
Interim Co-Directors

In the US today, nearly one in four women and one in seven men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, with LGBTQ+ individuals facing even higher risks. These are staggering numbers, representing countless lives impacted – often silently. As we reflect on Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we’re determined to illuminate this issue and help ensure survivors have access to resources and support to live free from violence. 

Pro Bono Net’s free online legal forms program, LawHelp Interactive (LHI), helps tens of thousands of survivors each year complete an order for protection, an essential step towards obtaining safety and justice. Through LHI, survivors can access and complete this and other vital legal forms online, more easily and accurately, on their own terms and in their own words.

Last year alone, LHI completed more than 68,800 free legal document packages for survivors, including orders for protection. Below are examples of what survivors tell us LHI means to them: 

  • “I was excited and felt stronger [after using LHI]. I hope it works for anyone who wants to be finally free from domestic violence. And don’t have a lot of income.”
  • “This will change my life for the better. Can’t thank you enough.”
  • “Thank you for truly helping others during their time of need, especially when it is to get help and/or protection from someone you loved.” 

LHI also supports hundreds of advocates and volunteers at legal aid programs, courts, and community organizations across the country helping survivors with this process, and to achieve safety.  As one told us, “[LawHelp Interactive] factors into our entire order of protection protocol, or rather our protocol has been built around this service. As an agency, it is often put to use multiple times a day, every week.”

As a justice ally, you know that free, safe, easily accessible help is a lifeline for survivors. Thank you for being a part of our mission, and all that you do. To learn more about domestic violence and who is affected, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline.   

Learn more about LHI here: https://lawhelpinteractive.org. If you know of an organization that works with survivors and might benefit from LHI, please reach out to us. 

This Citizenship Day, we honored not only the thousands of newly naturalized citizens but also the countless individuals currently navigating their path to citizenship. Among them are millions of legal permanent residents eager to participate in our democracy and secure a brighter future for their families. Many have spent years overcoming barriers, only to find the naturalization process intimidating, expensive, and out of reach.

At Pro Bono Net, we are committed to bringing free, quality legal help to those who may not know where to start, who to trust, or how to find affordable assistance. Our free, flagship tool, Citizenshipworks.org, makes applying for citizenship safer, simpler, and more affordable.

Over the past decade, we’ve helped more than 60,000 people understand the naturalization process, apply for citizenship, and access legal help through a network of 200 partners across the US. And when USCIS announced sweeping changes to the 20-page long naturalization form earlier this year, our dedicated team accomplished an incredible feat: updating Citizenshipworks to incorporate these changes in just 63 days — across three languages—to ensure we were ready on day one to support current and new applicants building their American dream. 

One of our partners in Austin, Texas described Citizenshipworks as “a service to humanity.” The services we provide to aspiring Americans are only possible with your support, and translate into thousands of people having a voice in our democracy, greater family security, and higher lifetime earnings.

With anti-immigrant rhetoric resurfacing this election season, please consider joining our work supporting individuals on their journey to citizenship. 

Thank you for being part of our mission, and please reach out if you’re interested in getting more involved. It truly makes a difference. 

Last month, Pro Bono Net shared the news that our co-founder and Executive Director, Mark O’Brien, is stepping into a Senior Advisor role as he embarks on his well-deserved retirement after 25 years.

As we celebrate Mark’s extraordinary impact and look toward the future, we want to express our deep appreciation for your support of Pro Bono Net’s work and our leadership during this exciting period of change and opportunity. We are humbled by this opportunity to build on Mark’s legacy and propel our mission forward as we begin the search for our next outstanding leader. 

In a world where access to legal assistance can profoundly shape lives, our talented team remains fully focused on advancing our digital tools and partnerships that thousands of people a day rely on to find essential help. You can read examples of this – and the difference your support makes – in our recent Impact Report. 

We’re also redoubling our commitment to ensuring that technology is an equalizing force for those seeking justice, safety and opportunity. This month, our team participated in the first-ever Google.org Impact Summit alongside 20 other global nonprofits selected to participate in Google.org’s inaugural Gen AI Accelerator. We’re proud that Sandra Sandoval and Sam Harden represented us by showcasing Immpath AI, Justicia Lab’s new tool for newly arrived migrants, while Rodrigo participated in the closing panel, “Six Months and 20 Projects Later – Learnings from the Generative AI Accelerator,” moderated by Afua Bruce. His warmly-received remarks about the competitive advantages that collaborative, nonprofit strategies hold to achieve impact and advance access to justice are available online.

As valued friends and supporters, we’d love to hear how Pro Bono Net can support your efforts to accelerate access to justice as we enter this new chapter. Please reach out to us anytime with your ideas or feedback.

Thank you again for your continued support. We’re excited for the journey ahead. 

With gratitude,
Liz Keith & Rodrigo Camarena
Interim Co-Directors

A quick p.s. from Mark O’Brien:

I hope you will join me in welcoming Liz and Rodrigo into their new Co-Director roles. Twenty-five years ago, Michael Hertz and I started Pro Bono Net with a simple idea about the potential for technology and collaboration to serve as a force multiplier for pro bono legal services delivery.  In the years since then, the focus of Pro Bono Net’s work has broadened –  and its impact deepened – thanks to the skills and vision of a committed staff and of a gifted and diverse leadership team.  As the organization embarks on its next quarter-century of innovation and collaboration, I can’t think of better leaders to carry the work forward than Liz and Rodrigo.  I look forward to continuing to champion their and Pro Bono Net’s work in the months and years ahead. 

Today, we are announcing an important change at Pro Bono Net and I wanted to share the news with you directly.

 After 25 years with Pro Bono Net, Mark O’Brien has decided to step down as the organization’s executive director to embark on his retirement. His last official day as executive director will be September 1, although he will stay on as a senior advisor to Pro Bono Net until the end of this year to assure a smooth transition to new leadership.

While our board intends to conduct a national search for his successor, I am pleased to announce that we have appointed two long-serving members of the management team as Pro Bono Net’s interim co-directors: Liz Keith, Chief Partnerships Officer, and Rodrigo Camarena, Director of Justicia Lab, PBN’s incubator of immigrant justice technology innovation.

Liz and Rodrigo bring a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to Pro Bono Net’s mission to these new roles. We know we are handing over the reins to two seasoned professionals and we are confident they will continue to fulfill Pro Bono Net’s mission to help everyone get the legal help they need, regardless of background or station in life. You can learn more about both Liz and Rodrigo in this Fast Company op-ed and this recent Chronicle of Philanthropy story.

On behalf of our board, I want to thank Mark for his many years of service, his leadership and his countless contributions to the success of Pro Bono Net and its unparalleled impact. Twenty-five years ago, he and Michael Hertz started Pro Bono Net with a simple idea:  use the power of technology and collaboration to serve as a force multiplier for pro bono legal services delivery.  Since then, under Mark’s leadership, Pro Bono Net has grown into a transformative force for justice across the US. Today, our groundbreaking programs and partnerships serve more than nine million individuals nationally and more than 1.2 million in New York State every year. Hundreds of  legal services, immigrants’ rights and community groups, as well as law firms, corporations, courts and government agencies rely on Pro Bono Net’s tools and resources to amplify their impact. Most importantly, Pro Bono Net is helping individuals access justice and empowering them to assert their rights. 

From that founding idea at the dawn of the Internet era to today, Mark’s dedication has helped create and propel a nationwide movement to harness technology for a more just future. Please join me in wishing Mark well as he embarks on this exciting new chapter.  We are very grateful for the legacy he is leaving us and look forward to building on it in the years to come.

Warmly,

Betty Balli Torres
Pro Bono Net Board Chair

As we celebrated the 4th of July, we were reminded of the profound impact that justice and freedom have on all lives, especially those seeking a brighter future. These values resonate deeply with our mission at Pro Bono Net, where we strive to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or station in life, has access to justice and opportunity.

Below are two ways our immigration justice program, Justicia Lab, is working tirelessly this summer to do just that. Amidst rising anti-immigrant rhetoric, we’re doubling down on our efforts to provide safe, timely legal information and support to protect vulnerable families and futures.

ImmPath AI: A Navigation Assistant for Asylum Seekers

Last month, we presented ImmPath AI, our AI-powered multilingual immigration assistant designed for asylum seekers and new arrivals, at Fast Forward’s (FFWD) Annual Demo Day. This innovative tool uses plain language legal content and emphasizes emotional well-being to help immigrants explore options for securing their immigration status and offers actionable steps. Watch the Virtual Demo Day recording to learn more about our vision and plans.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy Names Justicia Lab Among “The Nonprofits Leading the A.I. Revolution”

Justicia Lab’s AI work was also featured in a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy cover story spotlighting leading nonprofits working to ensure AI is an equalizing force for those seeking safety, justice, and opportunity. As Justicia Lab Director Rodrigo Camarena says:

“We’ve seen millions if not billions invested in the private legal-tech sector and a very small amount in the public-interest tech sector,” says Rodrigo. “It’s time we brought the most innovative resources to the people who are least resourced.”

Stay tuned for more updates coming down the pike, and please reach out if you’re interested in learning more.

Amidst the buzz surrounding AI’s advancements, there’s a critical conversation missing: how ethical, responsible uses of AI can protect and promote the public interest.

At Pro Bono Net, we’re dedicated to ensuring that technology is an equalizing force in justice movements and that the needs, experiences, and well-being of vulnerable communities are prioritized in its use. Today, we’re pleased to announce Justicia Lab AI, a new initiative dedicated to doing just that in the immigrant rights sector.

Justicia Lab AI brings together immigrant advocacy groups and AI innovators in the service of immigrant justice. Supported with $500,000 in seed funding from Google.org as well as technical capacity, mentorship, and pro bono support delivered through Google.org’s inaugural Gen AI Accelerator for nonprofits, Justicia Lab AI seeks to bridge the tech divide between immigrant-serving organizations and developers by delivering public education and workshops on AI, providing information on the ethical and practical considerations in using AI technologies, and co-designing AI solutions.

Our Mission and Goals

Justicia Lab AI aims to create a collaborative environment where technology and advocacy meet to foster innovative solutions for immigrant justice. Our initiative is designed to:

  • Educate: Conduct public education and workshops on AI to empower immigrant-serving organizations with the knowledge and tools they need.
  • Advise: Provide comprehensive information on the ethical and practical considerations in using AI technologies.
  • Innovate: Co-design AI solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of immigrant communities.

Looking Ahead

In the coming months, we’ll be applying our learning to Pro Bono Net’s broader work in the civil justice sector to advance safe, responsible, and community-centered uses of AI across all the communities we serve. We invite you to read more about Justicia Lab AI’s plans, founding partners, and advisory board in our press release. If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, please reach out! 

A New Strategic Partnership with Paladin

Last month, we had the pleasure of celebrating a significant milestone in Pro Bono Net’s journey—our strategic partnership with Paladin—at a gathering graciously hosted by Paul Weiss. The event was an opportunity to reflect on Pro Bono Net’s founding ethos: harnessing the power of technology, pro bono work, and collaboration to build capacity across the legal sector. Our goal has always been to attract new philanthropic and institutional resources to create solutions that help vulnerable communities get the legal help they need.

Pro Bono Manager Acquisition

Earlier this year, Paladin acquired Pro Bono Manager, a groundbreaking social venture we developed with support from the Gates and Booth Ferris Foundations. This acquisition marks a new chapter in Pro Bono Net’s history, allowing us to concentrate on and invest in new strategies to tackle persistent and emerging access to justice challenges. The acquisition was profiled in Law 360, showcasing its significance in the legal community.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Paul Weiss and other law firm partners who joined our Pro Bono Manager journey over the past 15+ years, as leaders in the pro bono sector and as allies of Pro Bono Net’s mission: to create scalable and sustainable technology solutions that provide free, safe, high-quality legal help to millions of people. 

Joining Forces to Close the Justice Gap

The combination of Pro Bono Manager into Paladin, aimed at enhancing services to law firm and corporate pro bono departments, exemplifies how Pro Bono Net and Paladin are working together to pioneer new approaches to closing the justice gap. As Paladin Co-Founder and CEO Kristen Sonday aptly put it, “At the heart of our collaboration lies a shared vision: one in which every individual has access to justice.”

Looking Ahead: Programming and Service Opportunities

In the coming months, we are excited to share details about the educational programming and pro bono service opportunities we will co-sponsor with Paladin. These initiatives are part of our ongoing commitment to drive innovation and excellence in the delivery of legal services. Stay tuned for other exciting announcements about Pro Bono Net’s efforts to create a more just future.

Pro Bono Net will be well represented at the 2024 Innovations in Technology Conference (ITC) this week, and we hope to see you there! The conference takes place February 1-3, 2024, in Charlotte, NC, and is hosted by the Legal Services Corporation. ITC brings together more than 600 legal aid advocates, court personnel, technologists and other professionals exploring new ways of using technology to expand access to justice.

Pro Bono Net is the country’s leading access to justice innovator with a 25-year history of impact. We create scalable and sustainable technology solutions and partnerships that bring free, safe, high-quality legal help to millions of people. 

This year, we are presenting sessions related to transitioning from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics, best practices in Generative AI, storytelling to maximize reach and impact, and how community engagement informs the creation of community justice programs. See below for where you can find us, or stop by our booth in the exhibitors area!

Wednesday, February 1, 2024

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM ET

Navigating the Transition: From Universal Analytics to Google Analytics

  • Ariadne Brazo, Product Manager, Pro Bono Net
  • Terri Ross, Executive Director, Illinois Legal Aid Online
  • Matt Keister, Product Manager, Ohio Legal Help

2 PM – 3 PM

Toward Best Practices in Generative AI in Legal Aid

  • Sam Harden, Program Manager, Pro Bono Net
  • Ashley chase, Professor, Stetson University School of Law
  • Angela Tripp, Director, Michigan Legal Help Program

Thursday, February 2, 2024

10 AM – 11 AM ET

If a Tree Falls: Using Storytelling to Maximize reach and Impact in a Fragmented Digital Landscape

  • Rodrigo Camarena, Director, Justicia Lab
  • Kristen Sonday, Co-founder and CEO, Paladin
  • Rebecca Greenwald, Storytelling and Engagement Strategist 

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM ET

Frontline Justice Workers: Innovation, Engagement, Research and Evaluation

  • Rodrigo Camarena, Director, Justicia Lab
  • Matthew Burnett, Senior Program Officer, Access to Justice Research Initiative, American Bar Foundation
  • Tanina Rostain, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law Center
  • James Teufel, Principal, Help Justice, LLC

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM ET

Friday Lunch and Talk Justice Live Podcast: Artificial Intelligence for Self-Help and Legal Aid

  • Sam Harden, Program Manager, Pro Bono Net, 
  • Cat Moon, Director of Innovation Design, Program on Law & Innovation, Vanderbilt Law School
  • Quinten Steenhuis, Practitioner in Residence, Suffolk LIT Lab
  • Scheree Gilchrist, Chief Innovation Officer, Legal Aid of North Carolina

In addition to Pro Bono Net ITC panelists, other Pro Bono Net team members attending include: Mark O’Brien, Executive Director; Tim Baran, Director of New York Justice Initiatives; Pat Malone, Legal Director of New York Justice Initiatives; and Claudia Johnson, Program Manager of LawHelp Interactive. 

For details on the many other excellent sessions offered at ITC 2024,  please view ITC’s agenda here. You can also follow ITC online via #LSCITC or LSC’s Facebook page, where several sessions will be livestreamed. 

See you there!