Pro bono stories can be compelling, informative, and persuasive, but they can also carry risks for clients. In this episode, Maricarmen Garza of the Tahirih Justice Center and Erin Kinsella of the Practising Law Institute speak with host Alicia Aiken about how the principles of ethical storytelling and client confidentiality can help protect probono clients and also shape better narratives. 

Voice of Witness – a nonprofit focused on collecting oral histories: https://voiceofwitness.org/ethical-storytelling-principles/

Ethical Storytelling – nonprofit and comms experts: https://ethicalstorytelling.com/

Peace Corps – ethical storytelling workbook and video: https://www.peacecorps.gov/returned-volunteers/share-your-experience/

PLI is proud to offer programs, pro bono memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

Many lawyers take on probono cases unaware of the vicarious trauma they can experience when helping clients in extreme situations. Hear Akin Pro Bono partner Lauren Connell and interactive learning expert Ken Rosenblad discuss the types of training that can help lawyers manage their mental health — and become more effective advocates.

Lawyering From a Trauma-Informed Perspective 2024: Best Practices for Nonprofit and Pro Bono Legal Service Providers - Practising Law Institute

Working with Domestic Violence Survivors - Practising Law Institute (ILC Program)

Interviewing Pro Bono Clients - Practising Law Institute (ILC Program)

Strategic Listening for Lawyers 2022 - Practising Law Institute (ILC Program)

PLI is proud to support the essential public service work of the legal profession:

• Explore our Pro Bono programs and resources

In-house counsel face structural challenges to getting involved in pro bono projects. In this episode, hear how Amazon’s in-house team joined forces with a Big Law firm and a social services organization to make a difference for unhoused people in Seattle.  

PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession. 

Entrepreneurship is one traditional path to building stability and strengthening communities in the United States, but many Black and Brown business owners lack access to the capital they need to sustain and grow their business ideas. In light of the ongoing conversations around righting the effects of historical discrimination (see Episode 28, on Bruce’s Beach), we revisit an earlier episode on helping small business owners in Detroit. 

This episode takes a close look at how pro bono Detroit lawyers are partnering with the grassroots group Osborn Business Association to support local entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their businesses and have access to the capital they need to grow and succeed.

Episode page on PLI.edu

Pursuing Justice homepage

PLI is proud to offer programs, pro bono memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

In this bonus episode, hear how the partner who led the unprecedented land return of Bruce’s Beach to its rightful owners (covered in Episode 28) developed his pro bono vision and skills from early in his career, working on a range of matters including advocacy for Holocaust victims, disability rights, and arts and culture.

PLI is proud to offer programs, pro bono memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

Bruce’s Beach, in Southern California, represents the first example in the United States of reparations to a family harmed by the racist use of eminent domain. This agreement — and the family’s recent sale of the land back to L.A. County for $20 million — was made possible by careful, skilled pro bono representation. Hear from George C. Fatheree III, partner at Sidley & Austin and lead counsel for the Bruce family’s descendants, about this unprecedented matter — and why he found it personally and professionally compelling.

Link to a bonus episode where you can hear more about George’s path into real estate law and his approach to pro bono work.

PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession. 

What can be done when survivors of domestic violence face judges who are unprepared to handle their cases? Hear from Ben Weinberg, Pro Bono Partner at Dentons in Chicago, about how an Orders of Protection Appellate Project is helping pro bono clients get a second chance at getting justice from the courts.

Related Links:

If the topic of this episode brings up anything for you or someone you care about, you can reach out for support at:

National Domestic Violence Hotline, www.thehotline.org, 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224

National Sexual Assault Hotline, www.rainn.org/resources, 1-800-656-4673

If the topic of this episode inspires you to get involved in appeals for domestic violence survivors, you can learn about DV LEAP, an appellate project at the Network for Victim Recovery DC, at https://www.nvrdc.org/dv-leap. If you are interested in supporting appellate advocacy for survivors or being contacted about the next NVRDC pro bono training, please email [email protected].

The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, the leading domestic violence advocacy organization in Illinois, honored Dentons with its distinguished Leadership Award for its pro bono work related to the Order of Protection Appeals project.

https://www.dentons.com/en/about-dentons/news-events-and-awards/news/2022/october/dentons-receives-leadership-award-for-domestic-violence-advocacy

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PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession. 

What happens when a BigLaw firm brings its resources to bear on a wrongful conviction case? In Part 2 of this dramatic story, hear from a Milbank LLP partner and counsel about their successful pro bono advocacy for a wrongfully imprisoned client who was denied release even after his murder conviction was overturned.

Related Links:

National Registry of Exonerations profile of Mark Purnell

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=6318

Press Release: Milbank Wins Dismissal of Murder Conviction, Freeing Innocent Man After Nearly 16 Years in Prison

https://www.milbank.com/en/news/milbank-wins-dismissal-of-murder-conviction-freeing-innocent-man-after-nearly-16-years-in-prison.html

Delaware Supreme Court: Purnell v. Delaware, 254 A.3d 1053 (Del. 2021)

https://law.justia.com/cases/delaware/supreme-court/2021/113-2020.html

Delaware Innocence Project 

https://www.innocencede.org/

National Innocence Project 

https://innocenceproject.org/about/

PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

As a teenager, Mark Purnell was convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. After years of self-advocacy, his case caught the attention of pro bono counsel. Hear about their dramatic fight for his exoneration.

Related Links:

National Registry of Exonerations profile of Mark Purnell

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=6318

Press Release: Milbank Wins Dismissal of Murder Conviction, Freeing Innocent Man After Nearly 16 Years in Prison

https://www.milbank.com/en/news/milbank-wins-dismissal-of-murder-conviction-freeing-innocent-man-after-nearly-16-years-in-prison.html

Delaware Supreme Court: Purnell v. Delaware, 254 A.3d 1053 (Del. 2021)

https://law.justia.com/cases/delaware/supreme-court/2021/113-2020.html

Delaware Innocence Project 

https://www.innocencede.org/

National Innocence Project 

https://innocenceproject.org/about/

PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.

New associates have a lot of questions about pro bono. Sometimes, they might not even know what questions they should have. In this special episode, three attorneys offer a “top 10” list of advice and insights for those who are getting started — or looking to jump-start their pro bono practice.

PLI is proud to offer programs, Pro Bono Memberships, and scholarships to support the essential public service work of the legal profession.