Who We Are & What We Do

About Corporate Pro Bono

Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a national pro bono partnership project of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and the Pro Bono Institute, is the premier resource for legal departments and in-house attorneys interested in doing legal pro bono work. Since 2000, CPBO has offered support to in-house lawyers and legal departments, providing technical assistance, online services, training, surveys, research materials, onsite pro bono clinics, and confidential consultation services to in-house pro bono volunteers – all at no charge.

The CPBO Website, www.cpbo.org , is a great place to get started if you are an in-house lawyer looking for volunteer opportunities in your area, wondering how to start a pro bono program in your legal department or ACC Chapter, or looking for quick answers to commonly asked questions about in-house pro bono. Our valuable online resources include an extensive search engine for pro bono projects and events in your community, best practices profiles of the pro bono programs and policies of other legal departments, up-to-date news on developments in corporate pro bono, and a library of resources to answer any questions and concerns your legal department may encounter.

Clinic in a BoxSM

Each year, CPBO conducts local Onsite Pro Bono Clinics throughout the United States.  Produced in collaboration with ACC Chapters or corporate legal departments, local nonprofit organizations, and major law firms, this Clinic in a BoxSM model provides in-house counsel with the opportunity to earn CLE credit while advising nonprofit organizations or small businesses.  These clinics serve as an ideal introduction for in-house counsel to apply their business skills to pro bono service.

Corporate Pro Bono Challenge

In recognition of the unique role that in-house lawyers and corporate legal departments play at the intersection of law and business, CPBO has launched the Corporate Pro Bono ChallengeSM . Developed at the request and with the advice and counsel of Chief Legal Officers, the Challenge enables corporate legal departments to identify, benchmark, and communicate their commitment to pro bono service to coworkers, legal department staff, colleagues in other law departments, and outside law firms by encouraging Chief Legal Officers to use their best efforts to involve at least one-half of their legal staff in support of and participation in pro bono service. In addition, through the Challenge, Chief Legal Officers will encourage outside law firms with whom they work to publicly acknowledge their support for pro bono by becoming Signatories to the Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM.

Providing High Quality Consultation Services

CPBO staff offers free consultation services to in-house lawyers, legal departments, and ACC Chapters. We have years of experience in successfully guiding legal departments of all sizes and across industries to establish strong, effective, and enduring pro bono programs. This broad perspective gives us a unique ability to suggest a range of strategies that will work most effectively in individual departments. We understand that every in-house pro bono effort brings together unique volunteers, companies, clients, and communities, and we are committed to working with you to find tailor-made solutions that will make your pro bono program efficient, effective and successful.

Promoting Partnerships

Because the Pro Bono Institute, one of CPBO's parent organizations, works closely with a wide range of law firms and public interest groups throughout the nation and the world, CPBO has the capacity to identify the most appropriate partner or partners for a company's legal department or Chapter's pro bono effort and to help structure partnerships that are enduring and effective.

Join Us for the CPBO Annual Forum

Each year, CPBO hosts the Forum on In-House Pro Bono in conjunction with the Pro Bono Institute Annual Seminar. The conference explores such diverse topics as pro bono innovations, marketing strategies for pro bono programs, and the nexus between pro bono and corporate charitable giving. The CPBO Forum provides a unique opportunity to network with and learn from your peers at other in-house legal departments.

To learn more about CPBO's services, please visit our website at www.cpbo.org , or contact Eve Runyon, Project Director, at (202) 729 6699 or erunyon@probonoinst.org .