Pro Bono – NWSidebar

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How Amazon Went Global with Pro Bono

Amazon recently released its first ever Pro Bono Report, which describes some of the pro bono work provided by more than 700 Amazon lawyers and legal professionals across dozens of countries since the program’s formal launch in 2014. In total, Amazon lawyers and legal professionals have provided over 40,000 hours of service through Amazon’s pro bono program in that time. Amazon Associate General Counsels Sean Croman and James Cuneo answered a few of our questions about how Amazon’s pro bono program was created, how it creates meaningful opportunities for Amazon employees around the world to engage in pro bono service, and how other corporate legal departments might replicate their efforts.

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COVID-19 Legal Need Checklist is the Latest Tool to Help Washingtonians in Need

In 2020, the Access to Justice (ATJ) Board established a COVID-19 Response Work Group to collaborate with other organizations in identifying and addressing community needs and systemic issues that arose or were exacerbated by the pandemic. The result is now available and being distributed throughout the state in the form of a COVID-19 Legal Needs Checklist.

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Pandemic Pro Bono: Washington Lawyers Recognized Nationally For Pro Bono Contributions

Michael Terasaki started his new role in what he calls “Zoom land.” For Terasaki and others who coordinate pro bono and low bono legal services in Washington, the new normal amid the undulating cycles of pandemic chaos has been a stew of new opportunities and new limitations, rising needs for legal aid and limited resources to meet it. It’s not necessarily the case that volunteerism has fallen dramatically—its dipped slightly, he said—but the pandemic clobbered the available legal aid with a sudden and dramatic increase in clients.

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WSBA’s Powerful Communities Project: Training and Tools

The Powerful Communities series features: Family Law CASA of King County, Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program, Seattle Clemency Project, and Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services.

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Pro Bono Month Nears End, but Opportunities and Needs Still Abound

The pandemic has changed the landscape for many, businesses closing, individuals facing eviction, and unemployment and disproportionate impacts on communities of color. Legal professionals of all practice areas and license types can help in a variety of ways. In October, the WSBA celebrates Pro Bono Month. Even as the month comes to a close, it’s always a good time to look at ways members of the legal community can help and take action.

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WSBA’s New President and Beaucoup Pro Bono in Bar News

Meet Kyle Sciuchetti: the first WSBA president from Vancouver. In the new issue of Washington State Bar News, the newly seated WSBA president introduces himself and his vision for the Bar over the next year. “Having lived most of my life in and around Washington, I see my year of service as WSBA president as […]

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Unemployment, Civil Legal Aid, and the COVID-19 Crisis

If the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was the earthquake, the mounting claims of unemployment and other legal issues are the coming tsunami.

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How Lawyers Can Help in the Time of Coronavirus

“Where aren’t people hurting right now?” That was the assessment from a Seattle-based social justice and anti-poverty group as outfall from the coronavirus outbreak continues to extend beyond the virus itself.

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The WSBA Pro Bono Awards: Benjamin Flick

In just one year, two WSBA members devoted 2,000 hours each to help their clients at no cost. Meet Benjamin Flick; he’s one of them.

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WSBA Pro Bono Awards: Heather Kirkwood

WSBA recently awarded two top pro bono reporters: Benjamin Flick and Heather Kirkwood. In this blog, we look at how Kirkwood reported a full-time job’s worth of pro bono.

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Tales from Uganda: Working With Those Who Protect LGBT Human Rights

Timothy MB Farrell, counsel to MBI Health Services, LLC, shares his pro bono experience protecting women and girls, LGBT people, sex workers, and political activists in Uganda.

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WSBA’s Powerful Communities Project: Legal Clinics

Learn about the legal clinics that arose from Powerful Communities.

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The Latest NWLawyer: Of Presidents and Pro Bono

In the latest issue of NWLawyer, we introduce our newest Board President: Rajeev Majumdar, the first state bar president of South Asian descent. And we celebrate the legal professionals who give so freely of their time to serve the public good.

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Pro Bono Puts Education Into Practice at University of Washington School of Law

University of Washington law students gain real-world experience while contributing their time and expertise to their community through pro bono work.

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Pro Bono at Gonzaga Powered by Students Giving Back

Part of Gonzaga law’s mission is to educate students to serve the public good, which is one reason its future lawyers must complete at least 30 hours of public service. Here’s what they’re doing with that time.

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Academic Altruism: Seattle University’s Pro Bono Programs and the Students Who Contribute

Service to others is at the heart of Seattle University School of Law’s mission. Find out how its students are answering that call.