Announcing: Pro Bono Partnership with Washington DC-based Buchanan, Ingersoll, Rooney Law Firm

As attorneys, we are fortunate to be in a profession that provides a unique and meaningful opportunity to serve our community. Pro bono service allows us to put our specialized skills and experience to work to better the lives of those in need.   

Law firms and businesses recognize the importance of giving back to the communities that are the foundation of their organizations' success, and they recognize that doing so makes sound business sense. By contributing to the strength of our communities, we preserve and build upon an infrastructure that ensures the future success of our firms and organizations.

As the market changes and our legal careers progress, attorneys face new opportunities and new challenges in fulfilling our commitment to service. In-house counsel focus on developing a broad range of skills, managing strict time constraints, and making a valuable contribution to mitigate the risk and further the success of their sole client—their company. Meanwhile, in a law firm environment, a focus on billable hours, business development, and establishing a niche practice is ever-present. 

These realities can impact how we answer our call to service in one of two ways. We can either put our service on hold for a more convenient time (that may never present itself), or we can do what we do best as lawyers: come up with creative ways to get it all done. 

Developing a Business Relationship by Becoming Partners in Service

One way attorneys take the latter approach is by drawing upon existing business relationships to serve their community together. Teaming up to help someone in need not only furthers the business relationship, but it adds a new dimension to that relationship and to the business itself, establishing the business's place in the fabric of the community that it depends on for its success. 

A team approach also alleviates many of the pressures and concerns that pose challenges for volunteer attorneys. For example, as one team member's schedule may be more hectic, the other's may be more manageable, allowing the team to continue to move forward on its service project. This would not necessarily be the case for team members in the same organization, who often face similar deadlines and time constraints. Additionally, a team approach affords an opportunity to get to know one's team members, creating a built-in networking and business development component.  And, of course, two can achieve more than one—having a teammate cuts down on the work and allows the team members to leverage each person's strengths and experience to best serve their pro bono clients.

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.bipc.com