In June 2020, Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) and Thomson Reuters Social Impact Institute co-hosted the VOLS Leadership Summit: Pro Bono and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, a conference to strengthen the private bar’s role in supporting public interest legal service. We thank our co-sponsors: Association of Corporate Pro Bono, Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals (ALFDP), The Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCo), New York City Bar Association (City Bar), Public Interest Pro Bono Association (PIPBA).
Opening Plenary / Continuing Legal Education
Pro Bono & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The June 4, 2020, Opening Plenary sets the tone for the Summit, discussing methods to address the distinct needs and priorities of pro bono and DEI initiatives within organizations. Distinguished speakers from corporate, law firm, law school, and non-profit settings will discuss the benefits and the challenges of aligning these initiatives with the added layer of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disparate impact on communities of color and low-income individuals.
Click here to download reading materials.
Facilitator:
Paula T. Edgar, Esq., Partner, Inclusion Strategy Solutions LLC and Immediate Past President, Metropolitan Black Bar Association.
Panelists:
Thomas Kim, Esq., Chief Legal Officer, Thomson Reuters
Kim Koopersmith, Esq., Partner & Chairperson, Akin Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP
Mary Lu Bilek, Esq., Dean, CUNY Law School
Roger Maldonado, Esq., Partner, Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP and Past President of the New York City Bar Association
Lillian M. Moy, Esq., Executive Director, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York
Specific questions and issues to be addressed include:
- How pro bono and DEI initiatives intersect within institutions and whether they should be separate or they should be combined for greater impact. Separately, how has COVID impacted this?
- The distinct issues in pro bono and distinct issues within DEI that need to be addressed such as the differences across populations that typically provide pro bono versus those who receive it and the lack of cultural fluency or sensitivity of people who may not be from communities of color, interacting with diverse communities, low socio-economic communities in an especially vulnerable state.
- Post-COVID-19, what does the future of pro bono and DEI look like, and what considerations and adjustments are recommended as we look towards a more robust delivery of both to ensure a more equitable profession.
Panel #1: Integrating Pro Bono and DEI Programs
June 11, 2020
Law firm Pro bono & DEI professionals will describe the ins and outs of their pro bono and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Panelists will explore the practical successes and challenges they’ve faced in implementing and integrating these programs within their firms. Breakout groups will follow the panel discussion, and there will be a short debrief to wrap up.
Click here to download reading materials.
Facilitator:
Susan Sturm, George M. Jaffin Professor of Law and Social Responsibility, Columbia Law School & Founding Director, Center for Institutional and Social Change, Columbia Law School
Panelists:
Christopher S. Auguste, Partner, Chair of the Diversity Committee and Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Committee, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Kevin J. Curnin, Partner and Founding Director of Public Service Project, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Aisha Greene, Director of Attorney Development and Training, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Annie Mohan, Manager of Pro Bono, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Questions include:
- How are the Pro Bono & DEI programs at your firm structured? What is the relationship between Pro Bono & DEI professionals?
- What are the challenges faced by the firm in developing, implementing, and integrating these programs?
- How does this work further the overall goals of the firm?
- How can the firm build the capacity of Pro Bono & DEI programs and professionals?
- How has the above been impacted by the public health crisis?
Panel #2 | During COVID-19: Meeting Community Needs through Pro Bono and DEI Programs
June 11, 2020
Representatives from community organizations will discuss how firms and corporations can work with legal service providers and community organizations to align their pro bono & DEI programs with the needs of the local community. Especially as New Yorkers face ongoing legal challenges and pandemic-related crises, this session will address why integrating these two programs is important at the ground level. Panelists will also discuss how pro bono attorneys who may come from vastly different backgrounds than their clients can advocate in a culturally sensitive way to impact individuals and communities.
Click here to download reading materials.
Facilitator:
Hamra Ahmad, Director of Law and Policy, Her Justice
Panelists:
Chaumtoli Huq, Associate Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law
Shekar Krishnan, Chief Program Officer and Co-Founder, Communities Resist
Rodrigo Sanchez-Camus, Director, Legal, Organizing & Advocacy, NMIC
Key questions:
- How has COVID-19 impacted the needs articulated by community leaders seeking legal support for their constituents?
- How have legal service and community-based organizations experienced changes in pro bono interest or priorities by law firms and companies?
- COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated racial, social and economic disparities in our society. How can the response by pro bono programs and DEI initiatives best address equity by working with legal services and community-based organizations?
VOLS 35th Anniversary: A Timely Conversation
For VOLS’ 35th anniversary, we recognized three outstanding leaders, coming together for a special conversation about pro bono during a time of urgent community response to the COVID-19 pandemic and protests against racial injustice. Featuring Michele Coleman Mayes as moderator. We also issued our Lifetime Service and Leadership, Excellence, And Dedication (LEAD) to Pro Bono awards. Full event and sponsor info at www.volsprobono.org/conversation.