The legal departments at TXU Energy, Luminant, and Energy Future Holdings Corp. in partnership with Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), TXU Energy Aid℠, and Vinson & Elkins LLP, hosted a CPBO Clinic in a Box℠ program on January 25, 2011, to provide valuable pro bono legal assistance to Texas nonprofits that provide assistance to underserved communities in the Dallas area.

The Clinic took place at the TXU Energy offices in Irving, Texas. Eleven in-house attorneys from TXU Energy, Luminant, and Energy Future Holdings Corp. partnered with several Vinson & Elkins volunteers to participate in the Clinic and help six local nonprofit organizations.  TXU Energy Aid℠, the largest bill-payment assistance program among electricity providers in the nation, helped to recruit the nonprofit clients.

The Clinic provided the in-house attorneys the opportunity to conduct a legal health assessment of each of the nonprofit organizations in attendance.  The Clinic began with an hour-and-a-half training session for the in-house volunteers led by Chris Rogers, Meagan Horn, Vanessa Griffith, Will Russ, and Allen Yee of Vinson & Elkins.

The volunteers then met with representatives of the nonprofit organizations to provide pro bono legal advice.  The volunteers reviewed with each client a checklist of legal issues developed by CPBO and tailored to Texas state law by Vinson & Elkins expert lawyers.  Volunteers were able to identify legal issues of concern and provide guidance to the nonprofits as needed.  As a result, the nonprofits were made aware of key legal matters that require ongoing attention, and many of the volunteers agreed to continue to provide pro bono services to the clients after the Clinic.

Combined, the six nonprofits serve more than 49,000 low-income people in the Dallas area.  The organizations offer soup kitchens and clothing closets; provide job training; host individual, marriage, and family counseling services; and provide emergency food, shelter, and clothing assistance to those in need.

*Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^®
** Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠

Clinic in a Box℠ is an off-the-shelf model developed and administered by CPBO for in-house counsel interested in legal pro bono work.  For more information about Clinic in a Box℠, or to learn about other resources CPBO has to offer, please contact Eve Runyon, director of CPBO, 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