Pro Bono

Protect domestic violence survivors by protecting their pets, ABA House says

At the ABA Midyear Meeting in Phoenix on Monday, the ABA House of Delegates considered how to best meet the needs of pet owners in family law and civil protection order proceedings.

Feb 3, 2025 6:42 PM CST

Behind the scenes as the ABA reacts to DOJ’s order to stop providing legal support to immigrants

Jan. 22 started as a regular day for the ABA Immigration Justice Project’s attorneys. But shortly after noon, an order from the U.S. Department of Justice changed everything.

Jan 30, 2025 2:18 PM CST

As Los Angeles deals with wildfires, law schools offer support

As the wildfires around Los Angeles cause significant chaos for residents, Southern California law schools are mobilizing—with students and faculty offering assistance to those who’ve lost their homes.

Jan 22, 2025 10:59 AM CST

ABA supports victims of California wildfires

The ABA is mobilizing to help victims of the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

Jan 15, 2025 12:11 PM CST

Microsoft partners with ABA on new pilot project to help asylum-seekers

This year, the ABA Commission on Immigration partnered with Microsoft to launch a new virtual clinic to help pro se asylum-seekers complete their asylum applications.

Dec 24, 2024 10:21 AM CST

Meet 11 ABA members who inspired us in 2024

In this year’s Members Who Inspire series, the ABA Journal featured 11 outstanding ABA members who brighten the world around them.

Dec 20, 2024 2:12 PM CST

Associates at this BigLaw firm can choose one of 3 billable-hour budgets

Steptoe is adopting a new compensation system next year that allows associates to choose one of three different tracks based on hourly targets.

Dec 9, 2024 3:19 PM CST

Supporting Survivors: ABA and its members have shaped the Violence Against Women Act for 30 years

The Violence Against Women Act passed in September 1994. VAWA, as it’s commonly known, was the first federal law to focus on preventing and combating sexual assault and domestic violence. Maricarmen Garza credits VAWA for bringing her to the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence.

Nov 26, 2024 2:27 PM CST

Want to help rural Alaskans with their tax needs? Volunteers sought for pro bono

The ABA is looking for volunteers to go to Alaska. The ABA Section of Taxation recently launched its Alaska Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project, a pro bono initiative that will take six attorneys to prepare tax returns in remote villages in the state.

Nov 25, 2024 1:56 PM CST

ABA President Bay urges ICE to notify counsel when transferring detainees

In a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ABA President William R. Bay called attention to a “concerning trend” involving transfers of detained people from the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego without the required notice to their attorneys.

Oct 28, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

The Power of Pro Bono: A fair hearing, respect and justice for all

Irene walked into the office of a young lawyer in a small town in Mississippi more than 40 years ago with an eviction notice and a two-page lease. Events that would follow turned the lawyer into a legal aid attorney and a believer in the power of pro bono legal work.

Oct 16, 2024 10:28 AM CDT

Members can advance democracy, equity and justice during ABA Giving Day

Now in its fifth year, ABA Giving Day offers members the opportunity to support nearly 50 different programs that provide pro bono representation to those in need, fight for systemic change in the justice system and drive innovation in legal services.

Oct 10, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

Hurricane Help: Lawyers mobilize to support communities hit by storms

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26, and it cut a path of destruction across the southeastern United States. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton is prompting mass evacuations in Florida and could strike the state as a Category 4 or even 5 storm on Wednesday night. Members of the ABA have begun mobilizing to assist survivors.

Oct 9, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Melanie Kalmanson dedicates pro bono work to death penalty education

When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in the death penalty case Hurst v. Florida in January 2016, it effectively changed the course of Melanie Kalmanson’s career. “That’s when my passion for these issues started, when I was seeing it in real life, living these cases, working on these cases, seeing how it affected Florida,” Kalmanson says. “The thing that really hit me was how little society knows about the reality of the death penalty.”

Oct 1, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

Firms should consider billable hour credit for DEI and bar association work

Many firms already credit pro bono hours toward their attorneys’ billable hour requirements. But what about the time attorneys devote to bar association activities and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives?

Oct 1, 2024 12:30 AM CDT