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International Edition

A call to alms: international firms are uniquely placed to lead major pro bono projects

Earlier this month I returned from Bangladesh, where I visited the UNICEF-funded child justice projects DLA Piper is supporting to help protect some of the country's most vulnerable children.
3 minute read

International Edition

Arnold & Porter, Dechert and Debevoise come out on top in pro bono survey

Arnold & Porter, Dechert and Debevoise & Plimpton have topped a survey of law firms that have recorded the highest number of hours spent on pro bono work.
3 minute read

International Edition

Managing type 1 diabetes and life as a magic circle partner

Slaughter and May partner James Cripps recently retired after over 35 years at the firm. Together with his former boss, Jonathan Haw, and their wives, Margaret and Hélène, they helped to establish the type 1 diabetes charity JDRF in the UK. In this article, Cripps recounts how he learned to balance the demands of his condition with the demands of his legal career
1 minute read

International Edition

CC's pro bono hours up 10% as firm looks to increase lawyer involvement

Clifford Chance (CC) has increased the number of hours its lawyers spend on pro bono work by 10% in 2012-13. The magic circle firm's annual corporate responsibility report values the time invested in pro bono work at £19.2m. Lawyers at the firm spent a total of 55,348 hours on pro bono matters during 2012-13, up from 50,324 hours in the previous year.
2 minute read

International Edition

CC adds seven more charities to client-level pro bono scheme

Clifford Chance (CC) has selected seven more charities to provide client-level pro bono support to, three of which will receive a total of £255,000 from the firm over the next three years. The non-governmental organisations (NGOs) joining the initiative are international development charity A4ID, affordable housing NGO Habitat for Humanity, non-profit writers' association PEN International, African Prisons Project, Anti-Slavery International, Institute for Human Rights and Business (IRHB), and Save the Children.
2 minute read

International Edition

Freshfields adds to pro bono efforts with London Gay Games advice

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has become an official supporter of London's bid to host the 2018 Gay Games. The city has been shortlisted to host the event alongside Paris and Limerick, with a final decision expected to be announced by governing body, Federation of Gay Games, in October. As well as sponsoring the bid, the firm is providing London's bidding team with pro-bono legal advice and non-legal advice, drawing upon the experience gained through its role as sole legal services provider to the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
2 minute read

International Edition

Charity forged by College of Law sale hands out first law grants

The Legal Education Foundation (LEF) - the charitable arm spun out of last year's sale of the College of Law - has formally launched with a series of six grants to initiatives supporting pro bono, social mobility and access to justice. LEF - which has funds of approximately £200m generated by last April's sale of the College of Law's education and training business to Montagu Private Equity - was set up to continue the College's charitable activities in the wake of the takeover.
3 minute read

International Edition

Time to show communities we really care by mucking in with charities on all fronts

When firms look at how they can support communities through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, many opt for schemes that try to improve the job chances and skills of the people they're supporting. They hope that in turn this will help the personal development of their own staff. There are, however, other types of programme addressing a range of issues that are less typical but equally worthwhile. For example, the less-travelled road of volunteering can still improve the lives of those supported. But it has the added benefit of developing communication, leadership and teaching skills for employees – skills which companies often have to address anyway through in-house training. Reed Smith is an international law firm based near Liverpool Street, right in the heart of the City of London. It is impossible for anyone working in the City not to see the sharp contrast between the area's wealth and that of its less privileged neighbours. This juxtaposition is emphasised further by a palpable lack of interaction between the two.
5 minute read

International Edition

CSR Award: Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance (CC) is running an initiative to help 100,000 people across the world through community and pro bono work. One example of the work undertaken by Middle East-based staff was a drive to raise AED100,000 (£18,000) to pay for a school bus for the Special Needs Family Centre in Dubai. The cheque was delivered to the centre in December. The bus will allow more children to attend the school and facilitate larger field trips. Staff at CC's Middle East offices formed a fundraising committee and arranged a series of events to raise the cash. The fundraising drive was just one of several initiatives undertaken by the firm's regional branches as part of a co-ordinated strategy by the firm to boost access to justice through pro bono work; access to finance through microfinance initiatives; and access to education.
2 minute read

International Edition

Beating heart - British Heart Foundation GC on asking lawyers to work for free

Deborah Prince worked in private practice, at Tesco and Which? before heading the legal team at the British Heart Foundation. She talks to Grant Murgatroyd about her colourful career and why she isn't shy when it comes to asking lawyers to work for free...
9 minute read

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