The Pro Bono Wire
October 18, 2012
From flying the friendly skies to taking a quick road trip down Interstate 95, September and October were busy travel months for Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO). In addition to attending ACC’s 2012 Annual Meeting and PBI’s West Coast Regional Convocation, the CPBO team made two trips for in-house pro bono events.
CPBO, the global partnership project of PBI and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), traveled to Richmond, Va., to host a Clinic in a BoxSM program on September 20 with Capital One Financial Corp. and Troutman Sanders LLP*. Twenty-eight volunteers from Capital One’s legal department came to assist nine local nonprofit organizations by conducting legal audits, making the clinic a successful one.
On October 16, CPBO Director Eve Runyon attended the 10th anniversary celebration of the pro bono program at Deere & Company’s** legal department. This was no ordinary anniversary, but rather a gathering celebrating James R. Jenkins, senior vice president and general counsel of Deere, who is retiring after more than 12 years in that position. Jenkins, who serves on the CPBO Advisory Board, has been a thoughtleader and a staunch supporter of in-house pro bono who led the charge to create Deere’s formal pro bono program. Runyon, honored to be invited, spoke about Deere’s pioneering pro bono effort and Jenkins and his dedication. The department also honored its pro bono volunteers and the partner organizations Deere works with in support of its efforts.
CPBO will travel to Houston to host a Clinic in a BoxSM program on October 26 with ExxonMobil Corporation, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP*, and United Way of Greater Houston. CPBO is pleased to meet with members of ExxonMobil’s legal departments again, after having seen them at both the 2012 PBI Annual Conference in March and at PBI’s Southwest Regional Convocation in July.
* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®
** denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono ChallengeSM