Pro Bono Collaborative June 2010 Newsletter

The PBC's first fundraiser was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who attended and sponsored the event and we hope to see even more of you in 2011! If you missed the event here are some photos:

Attorneys from Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP including host Stephen Prignano(far right)

Host Elizabeth Oliveira, Jodi Bourque and Stump Olsen

Providence Chief of Police Dean Esserman, Aileen L. Sprague and Robert J. McConnell from Motley Rice LLP

Attorneys from Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP including
host Tracy C. Baran (fourth from right)

Host Joseph Whelan from Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP addressing the crowd

Hosts Elizabeth Oliveira, Matthew Plain and Tracy Baran announcing the raffle and silent auction winners

RWU Senior Vice President Lynn Fawthrop, RI Chief Justice Paul Suttell and FILS Director Laurie Barron

Attorneys from Hinckley Allen and Snyder LLP

Feinstein Institute Staff and Dean of RWU SOL David Logan

Judge Daniel A. Procaccini, Jeffrey Biolchini, host John Roney Richard Ratcliffe

Host Joseph Whelan and RWU President Dr. Roy Nirschel

The Raffle and silent auction

Host Elizabeth Oliveira, Workers' Compensation Court Chief Judge
George Healy and Host Matthew Plain

Nixon Peabody LLP Wins In-House Pro Bono Award and Makes Generous Donation to the PBC

In June, Nixon Peabody's Providence office received an award from its national office for providing more pro bono hours per attorney than any other Nixon Peabody office in the country. The local office voted to donate their award money to the PBC. On June 8 Eliza Vorenberg accepted a generous donation from law firm partner Linn Freedman, who is also a member of the RWU Law Board of Directors.

In 2009 Nixon Peabody's Providence attorneys averaged 64 hours per lawyer, together donating 970 hours to numerous pro bono matters including the Pro Bono Collaborative Youth Pride and Expungement Projects, a suit against a chief psychologist in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib for misuse of detainee information, and preventing the eviction of homeless families from an emergency shelter, among others. Nixon Peabody LLP's pro bono policies are terrific and show a true commitment to the legal community's ethical responsibility to provide pro bono legal service. Among other things, the firm has a 60 hour yearly aspirational goal for each of its attorneys, all attorney pro bono hours are counted as billable, and leadership in pro bono hours has been a basis for yearly bonus calculations.

Nixon Peabody LLP PBC Attorneys: Linn Freedman, Timothy Baldwin, Jodi Bourque and Armando Batastini

Sang Hwa Lee and Ashley Ham Pong Receive 2010 PBC Awards

At the Feinstein Institute's year-end Thank You Reception on April 29, PBC Director Eliza Vorenberg presented the annual awards for "professionalism, collaborative spirit, and exemplary commitment to serving the community and promoting justice for the underrepresented through the PBC" to 3L Sang Hwa Lee for his work with Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. on the Tax Advocacy Project and to 3L Ashley Ham Pong for her work with Nixon Peabody LLP on the Youth Pride Project.

Sang Hwa Lee,'10, Eliza Vorenberg and Ashley Ham Pong '10 at graduation.

Foreclosure Scam Prevention Project:

On April 7 the PBC's Foreclosure Prevention Scam Project, which includes Bob McConnell, Esq. of Motley Rice LLC and RWUSOL 2Ls Jeff Basting and Shad Miller attended the launching of the Loan Modification Scam Alert Campaign at the State House. This new project partners Motley Rice LLC with Housing Network RI to provide legal assistance to homeowner victims of these scams.

Shad Miller, Ray Neirinckx, RI Housing Resource Commission, Bob McConnell, Esq. Jeff Basting (RWU Law '12) & Helen Iasimone, Housing Network RI, Homeownership Connection Director

U Visa Project Up and Running!

On February 11, 2010, the PBC provided a U-Visa Training and launched the PBC's U Visa Project with immigration attorney Joan Mathieu and Catholic Social Services of Fall River. The project has already received two U Visa referrals. The pro bono legal assistance provided through the project will assist immigrants who have been victims of crime.

U Visa Training (from left to right): Suzy Harrington-Steppen, PBC Project Coordinator, Alison Foley, Esq. Catholic Social Services, Sal Lincoln, RWU SOL '12, Joan Mathieu, Esq., Carl Krueger, Esq. IIRI