Header5a - RH
Issue: Vol 4 # 5        
May, 2012     
In This Issue
Save the Date; JFAB Update ...
Be a Power of One ...
Capital One: The Power of One ...
Opening the Door: Capital One's Day at The Project ...
Save the Date

What
July 12, 2012
Brown Bag CLE

How Estate Planning & Charitable Giving Can Benefit You

Presented by
Carole Neff of Sessions Fishman

12 noon to 1:00 PM 
Founders Room
Bar Center, 601 St. Charles
 
Register via email:
Linton Carney
_________________

JFAB 2012 Update


2012 Justice For All Ball

Friday
September 28, 2012 
8:00 pm to Midnight
Audubon Tea Room

Honorary Co-Chairs
Deirdre McGlinchey & Fionuala McGlinchey-Monsted 

Entertainment
Big Sam's Funky Nation  

Original Invitation Art
Robert Guthrie 

The Fun
Live & Silent Auction 
The Raffle 

Food & Beverages
From New Orleans' Finest Restaurants 

Sponsorship Info
Contact Rachel Piercey
504.581.4043 

Ticket Info
$150/person 
$100/Attorneys practicing< 5 years 
$75/Law Students  
Call 504.581.4043 for tickets or purchase online at: JFAB TICKETS

 
Be a Power of One!
 Open the Door &  Support The Project Now!


LA Giving B&W


Individual gifts are the single most important funding we receive.

 It only takes a handful of individuals to make a difference -- be a power of one and make an individual gift in addition to your firm's contributions. 

The power of one multiplied means we can open the door wider  for our clients and volunteers. Support The Project by clicking on the Louisiana Giving logo above. 

Become a
Partner for Pro Bono
by checking the
"make this a recurring donation" box on The Project's donation page when you click the above link. Make your Annual Donation over 12 months.

 Help us plan for the future by contacting
Rachel Piercey at 504.581.4043 about the Pro Bono for Life Planned Giving program.



Follow-up Links
OUR WEBSITE
JFAB 2011
CONTACT EMAIL

Greetings!

    

     Nobody understands the 'power of one' more than The Pro Bono Project's clients. How can just one person using their skills and talents make such a difference in the lives of the people we serve? But, as those volunteer attorneys, paralegals and law students, who have taken a case or worked directly with clients in some other way, can tell you  -- the sense of relief and gratitude expressed by clients once a case is resolved is often an overwhelming experience.

 

     Our theme this month is about the 'power of one' and how just a single action can make all the difference in the lives of our clients, our volunteers and The Project.  

 

     Whether it's taking cases or making an individual contribution -- each person reading this today can support The Project in achieving its mission and meeting its annual funding goal. While our law firms and sole practitioner offices provide larger investments, it is the individually given $100 and up donations that fill in the gaps and enable us to serve more clients.

 

     You can be a 'power of one' right now by making an individual contribution directly through Louisiana Giving/Just Give -- designate which program you want your funds to go to or give in honor or remembrance of someone. As well, you can also designate your United Way donation for The Project -- simply name 'The Pro Bono Project" on your pledge form or provide our agency number 1087220.  

 

     And speaking of the power of one - congratulations to The Project's Board member, Carole C. Neff of Sessions, Fishman who will be honored by AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps as the recipient of their 2012 Partners in Justice award on Sunday, June 24, 2012 at a Jazz Brunch. For more information or to purchase tickets: AVODAH  

 

     As you'll remember from last month's In Brief, the Gulf Justice Consortium, of which The Project is a member, accepted the ABA Litigation Section's prestigious John Minor Wisdom Award in Washington, D.C. on April 20th. For the full story and photos: GJC 


     Finally, we are in need of bi-lingual attorneys (Spanish) to work with one of our community clinics. If you are interested or know someone who could help, please let us know: LINTON  

     As always, thank you for continued support and here's to the 'power of one' this month.   

 

All the best,

Rachel  

Rachel Piercey  

Executive Director 

  

PS -- Spread the word about The Pro Bono Project by using the new social media buttons and connect this newsletter to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social media page. Thanks!    Find us on Facebook                            


Capital One: The Power of One

     As many of you know, Capital One has been a solid supporter of The Pro Bono Project for quite a while now.  Their Assistant General Counsel, Dominique Bright-Wheeler, sits on our Board, and their Bank Chief Counsel, Susan Broussard, has worked behind the scenes to make Capital One a continued sponsor of The Justice For All Ball.

 

     During the past few weeks, both Dominique and Susan have shown us just how the 'power of one' can sometimes move mountains. As usual, we were totally surprised but so grateful for their efforts.

   

     Since Dominique sits on the Board, she often hears Board Chair Katie Lasky (Jones, Swanson et. al.), Executive Director Rachel Piercey and other members of the Board discuss various ways to expand funding opportunities for The Project. Ideas are always flowing about ways to create parity between the community's need for services and the resources needed by The Project to meet those needs.   

 

Dominique Bright-Wheeler 20
Dominique Bright-Wheeler

     It was this on-going dialogue that turned a light bulb on for Dominique. Immediately, she saw a way to channel funding to The Project, while using her pro bono service to help create that additional funding thanks to a new program at Capital One.

 

Cyber Grants

 

     Capital One has joined a program called "CyberGrants." Through this program, Capital One is able to donate $1.00 per pro bono hour given by its associate to the non-profit of his/her choice. All the associate has to do is log their hours and designate a recipient organization.

 

     In no time, Dominique had signed The Project up and designated them as her recipient. She then logged 38 hours toward the Capital One's Cyber Grant program. Even though that seems a small amount, Dominique is a very active pro bono volunteer and over the course of a year, those dollars will add up significantly.  

 

     But, the story doesn't end there. Dominique went one step further and sent an email to all of her colleagues within Capital One and asked them to designate The Project as their non-profit partner. Who knows what the tally will be at the end of the year, but Dominique's effort shows exactly what the power of one can do. 

 

     For The Project, this seemingly small effort can make all the difference in whether The Project is able to provide services for the growing group of clients that come to The Project daily. The 'power of one' begins with an idea and someone willing to put it into action -- this month, that person was Board member Dominique Bright-Wheeler.

 

     You, too, can be a 'power of one' by making an individual donation to The Project at: JUST GIVE  

 

Capital One 's Legal Department is committed to providing professional legal services free of cost to individuals and nonprofits across its legal footprint not only in New Orleans, but Virginia, New York and Texas as well. Capital One's Legal Pro Bono committee, of which Dominique Bright-Wheeler is a member, has worked over this past year on finalizing a formal Pro Bono Policy, which further demonstrates that Capital One and its legal associates value providing legal services to those with limited means and little or no access to justice. 

 

 

Opening The Door: Capital One's Day at The Project

     No matter how bad a marriage may be, working through the divorce process is never easy.  But, when you can't afford to hire an attorney - the feeling of being trapped can become overwhelming.

     Last month a team of attorneys from Capital One spent a day at
Divorce Workshop 2
Capital One attorney John Marzullo (r)
and client.

The Project working through what seems to be a never-ending number of simple divorce cases.

It was truly a team effort at opening the door for those in need. By the end of the day, the Capital One crew worked with 67 clients and put a hefty dent in the number of divorce cases needing attention. Board member Dominique Bright-Wheeler spearheaded the Capital One team.

      "The Pro Bono Project  Divorce Workshop was an overwhelming success. In chatting with those who participated, they found their volunteer
Divorce Workshop 3
Capital One's Bank Chief Counsel
Susan Broussard (r) and client.
time to be rewarding, as well as a fairly easy way to clock some pro bono hours, while making a difference in someone's life. In that respect alone their time and talent on this day was absolutely priceless to those we serve and to The Pro Bono Project," she said.

     In addition, Dominique asked all those who spent the day at The Project to log their volunteer hours and requested that they consider designating The Project as their non-profit of choice for the matching funds program (See article above)

     Our wholehearted thanks goes out to Capital One and the members of their Legal Department who took the time to lend their expertise to our clients.

Susan Broussard, Bank Chief Counsel
Dominique Bright-Wheeler, Assistant General Counsel
John Marzullo, Assistant General Counsel
Scott Umberger, Assistant General Counsel
Pamela Hansen, Assistant General Counsel
Amy Bateman, Assistant General Counsel
Barbara Castellano, Senior Paralegal

Divorce Workshop 4
(l to r): Dominique Bright-Wheeler,
Susan Broussard, John Marzullo

    
Our Mission

The Pro Bono Project's mission is to provide free, quality civil legal services to the poor by engaging volunteer attorneys to render pro bono services. The Project serves Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Washington Parishes with funding from the Justice For All Ball and other sources. The Project works in collaboration with other legal and social service providers to improve the quality of life for our clients and our community.