Global, 8 November 2010 – Baker & McKenzie announced today the publication of
Pro Bono Service by In-House Counsel: Strategies and Perspectives, a first-of-its-kind book designed to provide in-house counsel with best practices for developing in-house pro bono efforts. Spearheaded by David P. Hackett, a Partner in the Firm’s Chicago office, and Madeleine Schachter, New York-based Global Director of Pro Bono and Corporate Social Responsibility, the book combines the collective knowledge of a group of in-house counsel from leading global corporations with proven pro bono programs, providing insights to real-world counsel on the risks and rewards of such a program. Mr. Hackett also edited the book while Ms. Schachter contributed chapters on in-house pro bono programs.
Pro bono service has been institutionalized at law firms for decades and is increasingly gaining ground in the in-house legal departments within corporations. With chapters from in-house counsel at Accenture, American Express, AOL, Caterpillar, Citigroup, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, General Electric, Intel, LexisNexis, Microsoft, Starbucks and Time Warner, as well as representatives of Ashoka, Concern Worldwide, the Feerick Center for Social Justice, the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, and the Pro Bono Institute, this book serves as a window to how corporations have conceived of, developed and grown their own pro bono programs.
Utilizing the considerable collective experience from these
Fortune 500 and
Forbes Global 2000 companies with institutionalized corporate citizenship and pro bono programs, the book is not only a collection of case studies, but also a useful compendium of:
• Beginning the process of developing an in-house program
• Successful program models
• Finding pro bono work
• Engaging potential pro bono clients
• Engaging in risk management
• Supervising quality control
“We collaborate extensively with clients on pro bono matters, and this book was a tremendous opportunity to share our collective thoughts and best practices,” said Mr. Hackett. “We hope it will serve as a catalyst to inspire corporations of all sizes to develop and expand pro bono programs within their legal departments.”
Mr. Hackett is donating his proceeds from sales of the book to the Pro Bono Institute.
In his forward to the book, Judge Robert A. Katzmann, US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said, “For in-house corporate counsel who wants to start, maintain, and expand company pro bono legal services, this volume is must reading.” Judge Katzmann is the author of a 1995 book that made the case for law firms hiring full-time pro bono counsel, now an established practice in the legal industry.
Baker & McKenzie’s Global CSR Program is anchored on the three pillars of pro bono and community service; diversity and inclusion; and sustainability. The Firm’s involvement in
Pro Bono Service by In-House Counsel: Strategies and Perspectives is a hallmark of its longstanding commitment to responsible corporate citizenship, which earlier this month was recognized with the Pro Bono Partner Award from Corporate Pro Bono, a partnership project of the Pro Bono Institute and the Association of Corporate Counsel.
The book is published by Practising Law Institute and is available at
http://www.pli.edu/product/book_detail.asp?id=96864.