Message from the Chairs

Welcome to the Pro Bono and Public Interest Litigation Committee Website. We are excited to serve as your 2009–2010 cochairs, and we hope to inspire your participation and further the committee’s mission to

1. Promote pro bono and public interest opportunities.
2. Highlight the outstanding work of individuals and firms that are providing pro bono services.
3. Foster and participate in special pro bono projects. 
4. Provide a gateway to pro bono and public interest litigation resources.

We want you to join our committee and get involved in a subcommittee, publish an article in our newsletter, contribute author content for the website, or sign up for one of our volunteer projects. We have several active subcommittees; most notably, (1) the John Minor Wisdom Award Subcommittee, which reviews nominations and selects the recipient for this prestigious award on an annual basis; and (2) the Communication Subcommittee. Additionally, we are looking for committee members to reinvigorate our emerging website, newsletter, and special projects subcommittees. We welcome both young lawyers and experienced lawyers to partner with us, and we look forward to your feedback on how we can make your committee membership more valuable. 

We are currently looking into a pro bono expert witness project that would offer pro bono practitioners a database of pro bono or reduced-rate experts in pro bono cases. We are considering a pilot project in immigration cases with the hope of developing a methodology and approach that could then be transferrable  more broadly. 

We look forward to hearing from you and hope you will become active in the committee’s various projects. Feel free to reach out to us with your interest and feedback as we endeavor to enhance the profession through pro bono efforts.  Remember, to whom much is given, much is required!

Mark Helm
Geoffrey Vitt
Tiffany Williams
Co-Chairs, Pro Bono & Public Interest Committee