The PBEye
July 16, 2013

CPBO, the Chicago ACC Chapter, DLA Piper LLP*†, and The Law Project recently co-hosted a Clinic in a Box® program at DLA Piper’s Chicago office. The program brought together 49 volunteer attorneys and paralegals from 21 corporations, including CPBO Challenge® signatories Allstate Insurance Company**, Discover Financial Services**, Kaplan Higher Education**, Verizon Communications Inc.**,Walgreens Co.**, and West Monroe Partners, LLC**. This is the third consecutive year that ACC Chicago has hosted a Clinic, and their commitment to pro bono has never been stronger. Read about the previous clinics in 2011 and 2012.

The Clinic started with a series of training presentations given by DLA Piper lawyers on areas of law relevant to nonprofit organizations. After the presentations, the volunteers broke into small groups to meet with 13 nonprofit organizations and conduct a legal audit, focusing on governance, employment, tax, real estate, and intellectual property issues.

The participating nonprofits provide a vast range of services, such as running a local nursing home, providing housing for street children in India, advocating for underserved communities and individuals, housing, counseling, and encouraging interest in German and Scottish culture. Feedback from the clients was overwhelmingly positive.

To learn more about the Clinic in a Box® program, or to inquire about hosting a Clinic, contact CPBO Director Eve Runyon.

*denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®
†denotes a Member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project
**denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge®

Hat tip to PBI intern John Treat for his help with this post.