The PBEye
October 18, 2011

CPBO just returned from a trip to Boston where we co-hosted a Clinic in a Box^® program with the Northeast Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Chapter; Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.*; and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. One of the larger Clinic in a Box^® programs to date, 41 in-house attorneys turned out to provide legal assistance to 15 local nonprofit organizations.

The Clinic began with an hour and a half training session led by expert attorneys from Mintz Levin, covering areas of law most relevant to nonprofits. Following the training, the ACC members met with the nonprofit clients to conduct a legal audit of each organization. During the meetings, volunteers referred to a questionnaire developed by CPBO and tailored to Massachusetts state law by Mintz Levin. Volunteers identified issues of concern and provided guidance to the nonprofits as needed.

The clients served during the Clinic provide a wide range of services to the greater-Boston community, including domestic violence counseling, advocating for the LGBT community, improving the health of children, and developing renewable energy projects. Afterward, one of the clients remarked, “[The Clinic was a] great session and a fantastic resource for us. We genuinely appreciate the time and talent that the lawyers provided.”

The Clinic model is a great time-limited pro bono opportunity for in-house lawyers. If your legal department or ACC Chapter is interested in co-hosting a Clinic in a Box^® program, contact Eve Runyon, director of CPBO, for more information.

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