Pursuing Justice: The Pro Bono Files

For a law student, it can be hard to figure out what a law firm job will be like — and whether pro bono will really be supported as part of regular work life. In the first of a two-part episode, hear from Lexi Wung, then a recent Michigan law grad entering a Big Law firm. She shares her aspirations, questions, and fears as an up-and-coming first-generation lawyer with a passion for social justice....

In this bonus episode, Ryan Haygood and Ezra Rosenberg — recently featured in the Protecting Voting Rights  episode — share how their backgrounds led to their professional focus on voter advocacy.   Related CLE Program: You may also be interested in Voter Rights 2024 . Attendees will examine current voting laws and challenges in the United States and learn how attorneys can help protect voting rig...

Laws restricting the ability to vote, such as unnecessarily strict voter ID requirements, disproportionately impact voters of color. Hear a conversation with Ezra Rosenberg ( Voter Rights 2024 Program Chair) 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 eligible voters. Relat...

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. Want to hear about new Pursuing Justice releases? Subscribe to our monthly pro bono emails Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources Learn about our Pro Bono...

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 b...

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 youn...

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 support the essential public service work of the legal profession: Explore our  Pro Bono programs and resources           ...

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...

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...

“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 ve...

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.    Related CLE content: Connect with our on-demand pro bono disaster relief res...

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...

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 T...

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.  Relat...

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 CLE Content: Lawyering From a Trauma-Informed Perspecti...

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...

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...

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...

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 ab...

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://w...

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 o...

New associates have a lot of questions about pro bono. Sometimes, they might not even know what questions they should have. In this special episode, three attorneys offer a “top 10” list of advice and insights for those who are getting started — or looking to jump-start their pro bono practice. PLI is proud to offer programs , Pro Bono Memberships , and scholarships to support the essential public...

What if your pro bono work could fundamentally restructure the delivery of justice for your whole community? In this episode, two attorneys with deep experience in advocating for the Right to Counsel — and tenants’ rights in New York City Housing Court, in particular — discuss how pro bono has made a real difference in access to justice, from Gideon to today. Related Links: National Coalition for...

Following Episode 21 on pro bono assistance to disasters, host Alicia Aiken revisits our inaugural episode, which tells the story of how a corporate attorney at Schulte Roth & Zabel stepped up to help Partners In Health get clearance to deliver aid after a devastating earthquake in Haiti. This encore episode features a previously unreleased conversation with PIH co-founder Ophelia Dahl. PLI is...