Association Of The Bar Of The City Of New York Fund Inc

The vance center advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The vance center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation. We bring together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice ngos within the human rights and access to justice program, the environment program, the institutional integrity program, and the public interest reporting program. The vance center's programs to strengthen the legal profession engage law firms, bar associations, law schools, and pro bono clearinghouses with innovative diversity, rule-of-law, and public interest initiatives, (continued in schedule o) (continued from page 2) including women in the profession, african legal fellows, the lawyers council for civil and economic rights in the americas, the access to justice practicum, and the pro bono promotion program, including co-managing the pro bono network of the americas as well as through keep families together initiative, providing pro bono legal support in central america and elsewhere to children and families separated by u.s. Immigration policies. The public interest reporting program includes the lawyers for reporters program providing pro bono legal representation on to local and mission-driven journalism organizations across the united states, and serves as legal counsel to reporters shield, a nonprofit supporting media organizations worldwide with legal defense and other benefits to confront vexatious defamation claims. The vance center estimates that the value of the pro bono work of law firms on behalf of vance center clients exceeds $14.7 million.

Together with more than 163 signatory law firms and corporate legal departments, the office for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (odeib) works to drive equitable access to the legal profession. Odeib's work starts with the pipeline to the profession-assisting high school, college and law students to overcome obstacles and prepare for a career in law. Odeib believes that the pipeline continues into an associate's early career and thus devises workshops and institutes to support practicing professionals across all levels of the industry. We create community and in-roads through our committee work, leadership training, speaking opportunities and events.

One component of other program services is the lawyers assistance program (lap). This year, lap engaged with nine nyc and westchester law schools, participating in law student mental health awareness week, delivering seminars, and providing grief counseling. We presented various cle programs, including stress management and ethics, and collaborated on initiatives related to lawyer well-being. We also held well being professionals forum meetings and participated in associate orientations. We maintained strong relationships with the appellate division character & fitness and attorney grievance committees, running a robust monitoring program. We co-sponsored educational events to improve the health and well-being of the profession, with our executive director serving on the nysba's well-being committee. Our referrals remained high, predominantly from attorneys, followed by law students, recent graduates, judges, and significant others.