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Pro Bono Partners Find Strength in Numbers

New York Lawyer
Febuary 4, 2008

By Niraj Chokshi
The Recorder

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When Maureen Alger, Cooley Godward Kronish's pro bono partner, met up with four of her counterparts from other firms at a conference in 2006, they all realized something — their ranks were swelling.

"Our community was growing substantially," Alger said. "It had changed from a few pro bono counsel scattered around the country to a profession."

The five had been networking at conferences, but realized there were enough of them to create a formal organization, the Association of Pro Bono Counsel.

The association was launched last year, and membership has already exceeded expectations. "We thought we would have a few dozen members. … Now we're up to 90 members from over 65 firms," Alger said.

One of the association's goals is to facilitate professional development for full-time pro bono counsel at law firms. To do that, the group has conducted workshops for its members at several conferences across the country.

Last year, the group hosted four nationwide events by locating them near existing conventions or national meetings, Alger said.

The group hosted its first "Pro Bono Academy" in November in New York City and has already begun planning this year's. One potential workshop covers how to involve more transactional attorneys in pro bono work. Another may cover how pro bono work and monetary donations can be coordinated.

"For me the real benefit has been … the opportunity to share information," Alger said.

For example, when a firm opens a new office, pro bono counsel no longer need to start from scratch, she said. Now they can call their counterpart at another firm in the area and hit the ground running.

"Law firms obviously are competitive in most areas, but pro bono is an area where there isn't a need to be competitive in most situations," Alger said.

Collaboration is especially valuable since the demand for pro bono representation so greatly exceeds the supply of attorneys, she added.

"There are always going to be more pro bono opportunities than pro bono hours."