Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2011 – The Pro Bono Institute (PBI) has selected Intel Corporation as the 2011 Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award winner for its outstanding commitment to pro bono service. The award will be presented at PBI’s Annual Seminar and Forum on In-House Pro Bono Reception later today.
Intel’s pro bono program focuses on issues including guardianship for minor children, special education advocacy, domestic violence counseling and support, and small business clinical work. Intel attorneys and staff also provide support for low-income entrepreneur counseling and representation, housing clinics, and bankruptcy and debt counseling. The program has recently started representing artists and staffing entertainment law matters.
“Having worked with Intel for many years to help set up its pro bono program and watching it grow and flourish, it was only natural that Intel receive this year’s award,” said PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent. “The commitment of the department leadership and staff and their innovation in legal services has been inspiring to see.”
Intel’s pro bono program began when the general counsel’s office adopted a proposal developed by staff attorneys. The resulting pro bono program fit well within Intel’s culture of community service and became a natural extension of their volunteer program, “Intel Involved.” Because Intel employees have a wide range of interests and skills, they can make unique contributions to community-based and legal aid organizations, and the pro bono program is just one example of how Intel supports this type of skills-based volunteering.
“Intel has long had a deep commitment to social responsibility, and its substantial program of pro bono legal services is a part of that commitment,” said Intel’s general counsel, Doug Melamed. “The provision of such services both benefits the community and makes Intel a better place to work.”
Since its start in 2006, Intel’s pro bono program has expanded to include Intel’s four major U.S. sites in Folsom and Santa Clara, Calif., Chandler, Ariz., and Hillsboro, Oregon, as well as “virtual” representation from attorneys not located at the major sites. Intel pro bono volunteers have partnered with numerous legal aid organizations, as well as nine law firms in Arizona, California, Oregon, New York and Texas.
Drawing from its U.S. legal staff, the Intel pro bono program has been involved in more than 275 unique engagements. To date, the program has contributed more than 6,000 hours of time to assist pro bono clients, and through the matching donations from the Intel Foundation, has generated more than $60,000 to various legal aid and other NGOs.
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.
The Intel Education Initiative
Over the past decade alone, Intel has invested over $1 billion and Intel employees have donated close to 3 million hours toward improving education in more than 60 countries. To learn more, visit www.intel.com/newsroom/education.
About the Pro Bono Institute
Established in 1996, PBI is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to explore and identify new approaches to the poor and disadvantaged unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems. In doing so, PBI identifies and develops innovative programs and undertakes rigorous evaluations to ensure that these new approaches are workable and effective. PBI administers a number of projects designed to enhance access to justice, including: the Law Firm Pro Bono Project®, Corporate Pro Bono℠, Second Acts®, Global Pro Bono, and Public Interest Pro Bono.