The veterans of Pekin, Illinois, know something about public service. That's why veterans from this central Illinois town three hours south of Chicago readily recognized the power of pro bono efforts in their community when American Veterans Association (AMVETS) Post 235 and the Caterpillar Pro Bono Program recently sponsored two clinics in Pekin.

At the clinics, lawyers, paralegals, and support staff from Caterpillar headquarters in nearby Peoria teamed to help veterans prepare powers of attorney for health care and property--documents that authorize a trusted person to manage affairs in the event of incapacity. Simple yet often overlooked, these documents introduce an element of control into potentially disastrous situations.

The clinics represent one way in which corporate pro bono is having a tremendous impact. While Caterpillar is best known for its large, yellow construction equipment, its public service commitment has been a hallmark of its 80-plus year history. Drawing on that tradition, general counsel James Buda saw a way for his employees to address the problem of unequal access to legal services. "The Pro Bono Program grows naturally from Caterpillar's long-standing culture of commitment to the communities where we work and live," Buda noted. "We can apply the skills and experience of our legal professionals in bringing legal services to people in need."

Within four months after Buda formed a team to study the viability of a pro bono initiative, Caterpillar's Pro Bono Program was under way. By January 2007, over 120 people had volunteered in the Peoria and Nashville offices of Caterpillar's Legal Services Division. "The level of enthusiasm for this project is overwhelming," said Buda.

For Caterpillar volunteers, pro bono work was an extension of prior experience. J. P. Kumar, a member of the program's governing committee, observed, "Many of our people worked in law firms where pro bono was a highly valued form of service. The program offered a way to reconnect with those positive experiences."

Caterpillar patent lawyer Bill Beckman agreed. "It is definitely a change of pace from what you do in a corporate setting--you really see the human side of the law," Beckman said. "The routine administrative work is handled for the attorneys, and we are free to practice law."

Those administrative tasks fall to coordinator Gale Grant and two assistants, who gather opportunities, recruit volunteers, and track pro bono hours. In addition to conducting clinics, Caterpillar's program has handled litigation matters and advised nonprofit organizations.

In the case of AMVETS Post 235, Terry Perkinson approached Grant with the idea of helping Pekin's veterans. Terry, a veteran himself, has been involved with Post 235 for 11 years and is the group's finance officer. "The pro bono work was the same type of support AMVETS provides for its veterans, so the clinic combined two strong programs focused on taking care of legal issues prior to death," said Perkinson.

Seventy-three veterans and spouses attended the two events at Post 235, much to the delight of Perkinson. "That's 73 people who might have run into severe problems one day," said Perkinson. "As a veteran, I've seen it happen many times--the veteran who is alone and relies on benefits does not have the resources to pay someone to create these documents."

Caterpillar's Pro Bono Program has been rewarding not only for the veterans of Pekin, but also for the legal professionals at Caterpillar. "This is a valuable service that we are providing to people who cannot afford it on their own," said Kumar. "It's a great feeling to be a part of it."