On June 24, 2008, Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a joint project of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Pro Bono Institute, along with the Legal Aid Society of New York, partnered with the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and volunteers from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. to conduct a Clinic in a Box℠.  The Clinic was held at the offices of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and provided vital pro bono legal services to ten microentrepreneurs and small businesses from New York City and the surrounding area as the Goldman Sachs legal department utilized their pro bono legal skills to contribute to a larger company-wide community service initiative.

The clinic consisted of two sessions, the first providing the in-house volunteers with training on legal issues that may impact microentrepreneurs and small businesses, and the second allowing the in-house volunteers to consult with New York City area microentrepreneurs and small businesses on issues requiring resolution, all within the Clinic in a Box℠ framework.  This framework enables legal departments of corporations to conduct their own pro bono clinics.

Through the clinic model, corporate in-house volunteer lawyers, aided by legal staff, conduct a ‘legal health checkup’ for local microentrepreneurs and small businesses who cannot afford the legal assistance they need.  The checkup includes an assessment of legal issues that confront microentrepreneurs and small businesses such as tax, governance, employment, and intellectual property.

A panel of attorneys from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, all with previous experience in counseling microentrepreneurs and small businesses in the city and state of New York, conducted the training session for which volunteer participants received CLE credit. These attorneys also developed comprehensive and invaluable training materials that the volunteer attorneys will be able to rely on when consulting with small businesses and microentrepreneurs outside of the clinic, should they decide to continue this type of pro bono work independently.

For more information about Onsite Pro Bono Clinics, or to learn more about Corporate Pro Bono, please contact Eve Runyon, Project Director of CPBO, at 202.729.6694, or at cpbo@acc.com, or visit www.cpbo.org.

Developed by Corporate Pro Bono
A global partnership project of the Pro Bono Institute and the Association of Corporate Counsel
www.cpbo.org