PRO BONO REPORT 2019–2020 Chicago • Cincinnati • Fort Lauderdale • Houston • Los Angeles • New York • Philadelphia Pittsburgh • Princeton • San Francisco • Shanghai • Tampa • Washington • Wilmington blankrome.com/pro-bono Attorney advertising. ©2020 Blank Rome LLP. All rights reserved. Please contact Blank Rome for permission to reprint. Notice: The purpose of this update is to identify select developments that may be of interest to readers. The informa tion contained herein is abridged and summarized from various sources, the accuracy and completeness of which cannot be assured. This update should not be construed as legal advice or opinion, and is not a substitute for the advice of counsel. CONTENTS A Note from Blank Rome’s Pro Bono Committee Chair .........................................1 SEEKING JUSTICE FOR ALL Supporting Immigrants in Our Communities ....................................................2 Blank Rome is proud of our deep tradition of pro bono service, which traces its roots to one of Advocating for LGBTQ+ Equality ..................................................................4 our Firm’s founding partners, Edwin P. Rome. Preserving Housing and Supporting the Homeless ..............................................7 For nearly 75 years, Blank Rome’s core values of respect for the individual, the community, and the law have driven and inspired our leadership in pro bono and community activities. Obtaining Military Discharge Upgrades and Benefits for Veterans .............................8 Pro bono service is encouraged and supported across our Firm through training, mentoring, Helping Low-Income Seniors Gain Access to Justice ........................................... 10 and promoting a culture that recognizes the importance of ensuring that everyone has equal access to legal representation. Advancing Small Businesses and Nonprofits through Legal Services ......................... 12 2019 Pro Bono Year in Review .................................................................. 14 Blank Rome has a formal pro bono policy that requires each of our attorneys and paralegals to undertake at least 25 hours of pro bono service every year, with 65 hours encouraged. To Our Pro Bono Partners .......................................................................... 15 help our attorneys and paralegals achieve this goal, they receive assistance with identifying pro bono opportunities that will be meaningful to them as well as appropriate training and Pro Bono Honors and Awards ................................................................... 16 resources to support their endeavors. Pro Bono Honor Roll ............................................................................. 24 A Look Ahead .................................................................................... 25 Pro Bono Team................................................................................... 28 Seeking Justice for All ........................................................................... 29 PRO BONO REPORT • 29 • • • • • Pro Bono Team • • • • • A Note from Blank Rome’s Pro Bono Committee Chair PRO BONO LEADERSHIP For nearly 75 years, Blank Rome’s core values of respect for the individual, the community, and the law have continued to inspire our Firm’s deep commitment to pro bono service. Blank Rome proudly promotes pro bono activities through meaningful legal clinics and initiatives, our longstanding pro bono partnerships, and our Firm’s formal pro bono policy that requires each of our attorneys and paralegals to provide at least 25 hours of pro bono service every year, with a goal of 65 hours encouraged. Barry Abrams Kathy E. Ochroch Krystal Kane In 2019, our Firm hosted and staffed more than 50 pro Although there is no simple solution for these complicated bono clinics and served more than 1,000 pro bono clients, issues, our Firm is proud to promote many remote projects PRO BONO COMMITTEES which translates into more than 32,000 hours of pro bono addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19, including service across all our offices. We are proud of this achieve- clinics assisting small businesses, eviction prevention, and FIRM-WIDE: Barry Abrams, Chair • Lawrence J. Beaser • Cheryl S. Chang • Amy Joseph Coles • ment, which earned our Firm a high ranking in The American unemployment benefits. We have also formed pro bono Alan M. Freeman • John E. Heintz • Krystal Kane • Jeremy A. Herschaft • Adam E. Laver • Lawyer’s annual Pro Bono Rankings Survey as one of the top working groups addressing the issues faced by our commu- Kathy E. Ochroch • Paige Barr Tinkham • Nicole R. Topper • Jared Zola • David A. Dorey • 25 firms nationwide for breadth of pro bono performance. nities of color, including discrimination and civil rights cases, Michael J. Feinman systemic injustices in the criminal justice system, and more. Blank Rome’s Pro Bono Report highlights various pro bono We are confident that, through collective action, we can work cases, clinics, and projects that our attorneys worked on last together to attack some of the effects of this pandemic and HOUSTON: Domingo M. Llagostera, Chair • Barry Abrams • Jeremy A. Herschaft • Munira Jesani • year, which provided equal access to legal representation move our country toward greater justice and equality. Marquel S. Jordan • Keith B. Letourneau • Zachary J. Wyatte • Susan L. Bickley, Ex-Officio for some of the neediest in our community. In particular, we LOS ANGELES: Dennis M.P. Ehling, Chair • Cheryl S. Chang • Shadi Enos Jahangir • Jessica A. McElroy discuss our significant work on behalf of immigrants, LGBTQ+ I am honored to help lead these important pro bono initia- individuals, persons facing homelessness, veterans, senior tives, alongside Kathy E. Ochroch, Partner and Director of citizens, and small business owners and nonprofits. Pro Bono Services, , Pro Bono Attorney, and our NEW YORK: Inbal Paz Garrity, Co-Chair • Evan Zucker, Co-Chair • Beth Bernstein Connors • Alexandra Clark • Krystal Kane Firm-wide and office Pro Bono Committee members. Blank Thomas A. Cournoyer • Morgan Fraser Mouchette • Noe S. Hamra • Elena P. Jacque • Martin S. Krezalek • The increasing need for pro bono service to address the many Rome is very proud of our attorneys and professional staff, Michael C. Lupton • Ernestine J. Mings • Brett S. Ward • Jared Zola • Michael J. Feinman, Ex-Officio injustices that individuals and families in our community whose pro bono efforts exemplify our Firm’s devotion to experience each day is more important now than ever before. bettering our community and the legal profession. PHILADELPHIA: Carol A. Gershon, Co-Chair • Michael P. Trainor, Co-Chair • Asima J. Ahmad • Samar Aryani-Sabet • During the last seven months, our country has been deeply Dalila J. Berry • Bridget Mayer Briggs • Bradford C. Craig • Molly Crane • Heidi G. Crikelair • impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has fundamen- To learn more about Blank Rome’s pro bono initiatives, please William R. Cruse • Krystal Kane • Adam E. Laver • Joel Michel • Rachel A. Packer • Michelle Piscopo • tally changed the way we work and live. Additionally, current visit blankrome.com/pro-bono. We hope that you enjoy this James J. Quinlan • Jeffrey M. Rosenfeld • Jeffrey N. Rosenthal • Joshua L. Strober events have sparked rightful outrage regarding the racial report and we welcome your feedback. p inequity and injustice faced by Black Americans and people of PITTSBURGH: Edwin L. Edwards Jr., Chair • Jill Lipman Beck • Maria E. Carnicella • Amy Joseph Coles • color every day. Jayme L. Butcher, Ex-Officio Barry Abrams, WASHINGTON: Adrien C. Pickard, Chair • Kyle P. Brinkman • Kierstan L. Carlson • Carolyn Cody-Jones • John E. Heintz • Emma C. Jones • Albert B. Krachman • Tara Laster Marcus • Victoria Ortega • Stefanos N. Roulakis • Alan M. Freeman, Ex-Officio• Ariel S. Glasner, Ex-Officio WILMINGTON: Tori A. Guilfoyle, Chair • Bryan J. Hall • Adam V. Orlacchio • David A. Dorey, Ex-Officio Partner and Chair of Blank Rome’s Firm-wide Pro Bono Committee The Pro Bono Committees listed above reflect our current committee members. Blank Rome’s Pro Bono Leadership Team thanks the 2019 committees for their dedicated pro bono service. 28 • PRO BONO REPORT PRO BONO REPORT • 1 • • • • • Supporting Immigrants in Our Communities Blank Rome is proud to provide representation and advocacy for asylum seekers, refugees, and other immigrants, and to have joined in the crucial fight to reunite families who have been separated at our Southern border. In 2019, our Adam Orlacchio Presented with Blank Rome’s 2020 Susan Bickley Named Chair and Houston Office Firm partnered with the Nationalities Service Center to provide adjustment of status clinics for 195 clients, totaling Edwin P. Rome Pro Bono Achievement Award Honored at Houston Bar Foundation’s Annual Meeting more than 180 hours of pro bono service. Blank Rome Partner Adam V. Orlacchio Blank Rome Partner Susan L. Bickley was presented with our Firm’s 2020 was inducted as chair of the Houston Edwin P. Rome Pro Bono Achievement Bar Foundation and our Firm’s Houston Philadelphia Office Continues Partnership with #TakeActionPhilly to Offer Adjustment of Status Clinics Award in recognition of his personal office was honored for its “Outstanding commitment to, and leadership in, Mid-Size Firm Contribution to Blank Rome was proud to partner with the Nationalities Philadelphia, and a number of prominent nonprofit legal aid performing pro bono litigation on Houston Volunteers Lawyers”