On October 27th, the legal department of Merck & Co., Inc. – along with members of the legal department of the Schering Plough Corporation which is in the process of merging with Merck – held a joyful celebration of the 15th anniversary of the company’s vibrant pro bono program.  Honored guests and participants included Merck and Schering Plough’s public interest partners in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Merck’s program is one of the oldest in-house pro bono programs in the nation, but the energy and spirit that infused the celebration made it clear that Merck’s program has grown and matured while losing none of its energy and vigor.  Produced by Merck’s Dianne Brown and Mark Daniel, the program was emceed by Bruce Kuhlik, Merck’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel.  Click here to read Kuhlik’s perspective on pro bono published in a commemorative newsletter prepared for the anniversary.

As an indication of the importance with which pro bono is viewed at Merck, the event also featured remarks by Richard Clark, Merck’s Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, as well as the department’s two previous general counsel, Mary McDonald, who created the pro bono program, and Ken Frazier, now Executive Vice President and President of Global Health at Merck, and a great pro bono supporter.  Other speakers included Retired New Jersey Chief Justice James Zazzali and PBI’s Esther Lardent.  Lardent also moderated a panel, composed of pro bono leaders from Merck and Schering Plough as well as representatives from Legal Services of New Jersey, the Pro Bono Partnership, and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, on the current state of pro bono and how to enhance its impact.  The event ended with a video celebration of the faces of pro bono and a closing luncheon.  Even in these difficult and incredibly busy times, making the time to acknowledge and strengthen pro bono reaps rewards – good will, new ideas, sharing core values with new colleagues, and renewing and refreshing valued partnerships.

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