Public Interest by Martin Costello
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PUBLIC INTEREST By Martin COSTELLO groups, where a cross-departmental group of volunteers at a law firm work on pro bono Business Opportunities matters in a single subject area. To date, we have started four pro bono practice groups at Pepper Hamilton LLP, Reed Smith LLP, LawWorks Helps Homeowners and Businesses Dechert LLP, and White and Williams LLP, dedicated to homeownership issues. Law- Keep Philadelphia Neighborhoods Strong Works also works with corporations and pairs in-house attorneys with law firm attor- or the past six years, a small from simple incorporation, 501(c)(3) issues, neys to take advantage of the resources of community economic de- and basic business counseling to more both organizations. Volunteers can also as- velopment project has been complex intellectual property, tax, zoning, sist without even taking a case. LawWorks meeting a big need: provid- employment and contracts cases. Hom- is always looking for attorneys to assist with ing pro bono legal services eownership cases involve clients that do not outreach in the community and to develop Fto Philadelphia’s nonprofits, small busi- have current title to their homes (“tangled self-help guides for clients. nesses, and low-income homeowners. The titles”) or are facing foreclosure. Clients One of the most unique aspects of Law- project is Philadelphia LawWorks, and if with tangled titles have an equitable claim Works is the ability to provide pro bono le- our business is pro bono, business has nev- to their home’s title but do not have current gal services to for-profit business owners. er been better. legal title. Without title, the homeowner is How does a for-profit business qualify for Philadelphia LawWorks is the community unable to finance the property, enter into pro bono legal services? LawWorks’ small economic development project of Philadel- payment agreements for delinquent real business clients are locally owned and oper- phia VIP, the hub of pro bono legal services estate or utility payment agreements, or ated businesses meeting a Philadelphia Bar in Philadelphia. For more than twenty- obtain grants for property improvements. Association approved income requirement. seven years, VIP has been bridging the gap Left unresolved, many homeowners would This income level is higher than tradi- between legal services organizations and eventually be forced to leave the property tional pro bono levels for individual clients the private bar by referring low-income cli- and the home would become vacant, leading because it takes into account the capital ents to private attorneys for assistance with to blight and other neighborhood problems. needed to start or maintain a small busi- a variety of civil legal issues. With almost Volunteers assist homeowners to place title ness. Our goal is to help Philadelphia busi- 850 cases referred since January 2007, and in their name through probating one or ness owners move away from poverty and nearly 13,000 cases referred to date, many more estates, assisting with a quiet title ac- toward a dependable self-sustained income area attorneys are already familiar with Phil- tion if necessary, or simply negotiating with source. Through the help of our volunteer adelphia VIP. If you are not currently a vol- the record owner for a title transfer. attorneys, we are able to make this a reality. unteer, we could definitely use your help. Since its inception, LawWorks has deliv- Volunteers’ pro bono support of small busi- Despite Philadelphia’s numerous pro ered outstanding pro bono legal services to ness is actually support for the backbone of bono opportunities, many transactional at- clients. LawWorks staff attorneys provide the neighborhood economy, which in turn torneys did not believe their skills matched substantive and procedural assistance to benefits the entire community. the needs of low-income Philadelphians. volunteers and also pair new volunteers Perhaps the most popular way we are able That all changed in 2002 when Philadel- with seasoned veterans on more difficult to assist small business owners is through phia LawWorks was created through a col- matters. We support pro bono practice the help of in-house counsel at our annual laboration of organizations small business clinic. This including Philadelphia VIP, year marks the fifth anniver- the Philadelphia Bar Asso- sary for LawWorks’ “Corpo- ciation, Community Legal rate Pro Bono Day” on-site Services, Regional Housing legal clinic. Corporate Pro Legal Services, and other lo- Bono Day is a results-driven cal public interest organiza- clinic that incorporates a tions. CLE training for in-house LawWorks offers volun- counsel volunteers as well teers, especially transaction- as client counseling during al, corporate, and probate the same event. attorneys, the opportunity At the clinic, LawWorks to use their skills to assist staff works with a law firm nonprofit organizations, to prepare a training fo- community groups, small cused on small-business le- businesses, entrepreneurs, gal issues to be presented to and homeowners. in-house counsel volunteers Our nonprofit and small from local corporations. business client needs range Gebert © Images.com/Warren Our past law firm partners 18 the philadelphia lawyer fall 2008 include Pepper Hamilton LLP, Blank Rome preneurs who attended were local minority vides capacity-building, business education LLP, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll and women business owners and operators and economic development opportunities LLP, and Duane Morris LLP. In-house located along newly revitalized commercial to high-potential minority entrepreneurs. volunteers come from large and small lo- corridors. Through the help of our volunteers, Law- cal corporations including PECO Energy, Corporate Pro Bono Day 2008 will be Works strengthens Philadelphia’s neigh- Comcast Cable Communications, Pep Boys, held September 23, 2008, at West Phila- borhoods by supporting the organizations GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Ara- delphia’s Enterprise Center. This year’s providing services to the communities, mark, Legion Insurance, Triumph Group, participating law firm partner is Dechert counseling the small businesses driving the Drexel University, and AIG. After the CLE LLP. Community economic development economy, and stabilizing residential blocks portion of the event, the in-house volun- starts by meeting business owners in their by clearing up tangled titles. These efforts teers are paired with a pre-registered small neighborhood, and since 2006, LawWorks’ help develop economic wealth in tradition- business owner to perform an audit of the small business clinic has been held at The ally low-income populations, contributing affairs of the business and offer advice on Enterprise Center. Home to Philadelphia’s to a more prosperous Philadelphia. n other legal issues. The law firm volunteers original American Bandstand television remain to assist the in-house volunteers, if program with Dick Clark, The Enterprise Martin Costello is a staff attorney with needed, with any issue-specific questions Center has a long history in West Phila- Philadelphia LawWorks. His e-mail address is that arise, such as intellectual property or delphia. Today, The Enterprise Center pro- [email protected]. local zoning. Last year, more than thirty businesses registered for the event, a num- ber capped due to space requirements, and thirty in-house volunteers participated in VOLUNTEER WITH LAW WORKS the training and client counseling session. If you would like to get involved with Corporate Pro Bono It was the largest and most successful Cor- Day 2008, are interested in developing a practice group porate Pro Bono Day LawWorks has held at your firm, or just would like general information about to date. Volunteers counseled a variety of microentrepreneurs, including a clothing how to volunteer with VIP and LawWorks, please visit our company, a wireless phone store, a clothing Web site at www.phillyvip.org. designer, a caterer, a photographer, and a handbag designer. Most of the microentre- the philadelphia lawyer fall 2008 19.