While their company works to make sure clients’ cars run smoothly, the attorneys in Pep Boys’ legal department are trying to smooth the way for the area’s homeless to transition into self-sufficiency.

The PBEye is sad to see Fred Krebs, president of ACC, and Susan Hackett, senior vice president and general counsel of ACC- both great friends to CPBO – to leave at the end of this month.

The PBEye explores some key points from Deloitte’s annual IMPACT survey, which explores trends and issues in corporate philanthropy.

On May 16, 2011, the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission convened the In-House Counsel Pro Bono Forum, inviting lawyers from legal departments and law firms, and judges from several Massachusetts courts to discuss developing robust in-house pro bono programs in legal departments across the state. The Honorable Ralph Gants, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and David Rosenberg, of counsel at Englander, Leggett & Chicoine, P.C., co-chaired the meeting, which was held in the John Adams Courthouse in Boston. Susan Finegan, pro bono partner at Mintz Levin*, planned and moderated the meeting with assistance from Corporate Pro Bono.

In the social science and economic development fields commentators now focus on what they term “structural poverty.” Structural poverty is defined as “deprivation which is reinforced by administrative, economic and social barriers preventing access to new life skills, employment opportunities, improved health care and better housing.”

The personal rewards of doing pro bono work are well documented. So it was no surprise to hear lawyers tell heart-tugging stories about helping childless couples adopt or abused women escape violent relationships at a June 2 panel discussion on pro bono work sponsored by Silicon Valley Campaign for Legal Services.

Last week the U.S. celebrated Memorial Day to honor all of the brave men and women who have served in its armed forces and made the ultimate sacrifice while doing so. In addition, on Memorial Day many of us recognized and thanked those serving today and the many veterans who have served over the years. Our friends at the Hewlett-Packard Company (HP)** have chosen not to limit their efforts to a holiday weekend. Instead, the legal department has adopted a signature project to assist veterans throughout the year. Below is a description of their good work from Todd R. Tabor, Senior Counsel, HP Legal.

The 2011 Pro Bono Institute Annual Seminar and Forum on In-House Pro Bono once again featured a “Marketplace of Ideas.” This fast-paced session, a Seminar/Forum favorite, was an opportunity for presenters to share cutting-edge pro bono projects and for attendees to learn about new opportunities, offerings, infrastructure, and other pro bono developments. A recurring theme and trend reflected in many of the projects presented was a focus on strategic partnership and collaboration. The four presenters identified real-world legal needs and explained how their projects are successfully addressing them.

Corporate Pro Bono recently published the 2010 In-House Pro Bono Benchmarking Survey, which highlights several key trends that CPBO observed in in-house pro bono in 2010. The report includes responses from 35 legal departments, each of them Signatories to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠. The benchmarking data enables legal departments to compare their pro bono programs and projects with those of other departments. As in-house pro bono evolves, CPBO will regularly expand and update these materials.