by Kala Mueller
This week is the National Celebration of Pro Bono, which is held each year at the end of October. There are a lot of great events happening around the country (many of them virtual) to increase awareness of and celebrate those who engage in pro bono legal work. You can find hundreds of them through Pro Bono Net's event calendar or interactive event map. I've highlighted just a few free programs below, including a Friday afternoon CLE presented by the NSBA's Volunteer Lawyers Project and Legal Aid of Nebraska.
A Conversation With Kids About Immigrants and Fairness
- When: October 27, 2020, 3:00 pm to 3:45 pm CT
- Where: Zoom (register here)
Join us for an educational and fun event for elementary school children focused on immigration. We will talk and do activities as we discuss why people come to America, the challenges they face, fairness, what lawyers do to help, and how we can all help every day. Our conversation and activities will be lead by Michael Lukens, Associate Director of CAIR Coalition and Lauren Sullivan, Staff Attorney with KIND. Bring your kids and join us for a unique family event.
Pro Bono Goes Green: How to Find Pro Bono Work that Helps the Environment
With widespread attention increasingly focused on climate change initiatives, many are interested in exploring opportunities to get involved in grass-roots and pro bono efforts. Leading experts in these areas will explore the numerous aspects of and ways to become involved in a variety of types of pro bono work, including litigation, especially those in the form of citizen suits and petitions for rulemaking; advocacy, especially through testifying before government agencies, letter writing to agencies, lobbying, etc.; and hands-on non-legal volunteer opportunities. At the conclusion of their remarks, expert panelists will field questions from participants during a Q&A session. Participants are welcome to learn about tangible ideas and opportunities for involvement in pro bono opportunities for climate change initiatives and environmental issues more broadly.
Panelists:
Ariel Solaski, Litigation Staff Attorney, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Moderator
Scott W. Badenoch, Jr., Visiting Attorney, Environmental Law Institute
Hannah Brubach, Staff Attorney, Chesapeake Legal Alliance
Tom Linney, Pro Bono Director, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Advancing Racial Justice and Equity Through Pro Bono
- When: October 29, 2020, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CT
- Where: Webinar (register here)
Though racial injustice is certainly not new, a global pandemic and tragic events this summer proved a turning point for many to recognize the systemic inequality that pervades our legal system. For those looking for ways to help advance racial justice and equity, participating in pro bono is an invaluable way to contribute. Hear from experts in the field and attorneys who work on these issues and learn about opportunities to get involved right now.
This expert panel will include:
- Nora Ahmed, Legal Director at ACLU of Louisiana. Justice Lab: Putting Racist Policing on Trial is an intensive litigation effort to challenge racially discriminatory policing practices and combat police violence against people of color. The campaign enlists pro bono counsel to bring cases challenging racially-motivated stops and seizures under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments and any other applicable laws
- Marques Banks, Associate Counsel at Washington Lawyers Committee, Law4BlackLives DC. Law4BlackLives DC seeks to eradicate white supremacy and anti-Blackness by leveraging the skills and experiences of lawyers, legal professionals, and Black people to support Black-led community efforts in the struggle for liberation and justice in DC. They seek pro bono counsel to get involved in a range of legal tasks including bail support and release for protestors, security and surveillance, research or policy support, technical assistance, and consultations.
- Jamila Johnson, Managing Attorney of the Unanimous Jury Project: Phase II at The Promise of Justice Initiative. The Jim Crow Juries Project represents those in Louisiana prisons who seek relief after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Ramos v. Louisiana. That case struck down a Louisiana Jim Crow law that required courts to convict even when some jurors were not unanimous. The law sought to silence black jurors and disproportionately impacted black defendants. The project seeks pro bono volunteers to draft and file post-conviction relief applications seeking retroactivity.
- Ernest Boykin, Compassionate Release Recipient. Ernest was serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison when the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit prisons hard. He has underlying medical conditions that put him at high risk if he contracted the disease, and the conditions inside the prison deteriorated by the day. His case was accepted by the Compassionate Release project, and represented by Joanna Perales. He was granted compassionate release in July 2020
- Joanna Perales, Research and Writing Attorney, Federal Public Defender for DC, Compassionate Release Project. The Compassionate Release Project seeks pro bono counsel to work on compassionate release motions for those in prison most vulnerable to COVID-19: the elderly and chronically ill. Prisoners of color, already overrepresented in our prisons, have died from COVID-19 at rates that exceed their proportion of the prison population
The conversation will be moderated by Harmony Jones, Deputy Pro Bono Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Just the Basics! 2.0: Providing Limited Legal Services in Legal Clinics
When: October 30, 2020, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. CT
Where: Webinar (register here)
Cost: Free for law students; also free for attorneys who agree to perform pro bono activities through VLP or Legal Aid of Nebraska in 2020 or 2021.
Legal Aid of Nebraska and the Nebraska State Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project are offering a 2.5 hour CLE that will help prepare attorneys to assist with legal issues including eviction defense, name changes, criminal record set-aside, and sealings and modification of child support. The eviction defense session is scheduled from 2:25 - 3:10 p.m. and will be presented by Nebraska Law Professor Ryan Sullivan and LAN Managing Attorney Scott Mertz.