Partnership Links Xerox Attorneys with Non-Profit in Need of Legal Advice Xerox has a long history of support for pro bono initiatives in the areas served by its in-house counsel. Recently, the attorneys located at its Stamford, CT headquarters learned of the opportunities for community service provided by the Pro Bono Partnership. Over the years, a barrier of participation of in-house counsel in pro bono activities has been lack of expertise or internal resources necessary to provide legal support in litigation matters. The strength of the Partnership is its ability to match lawyers who have exper tise in areas outside of litigation with non-profit organizations in need of non-litigation legal assistance in areas such as real property acquisition, human resources counseling and not-for-profit corporations law. Bridgeport, Connecticut’s McGivney Center is among the initial clients matched with Xerox attorneys through the Partnership. The McGivney Center provides a safe haven for underprivileged children to enjoy after-school sports, art, drama and music programs. Once the students enter the Center to participate in these activities, the Center then offers the students academic support, including access to computers. During their initial visit to the center, Xerox volunteers met with the center directors and staff, and were given a tour of the center’s facilities. They learned of the center’s plans to expand its facilities into neighborhood buildings, and the legal issues arising from the center’s growing permanent and part-time staff. As a result, the volunteers are currently drafting a personnel policy manual and conducting research on various related topics. In the future, volunteer activities may include real estate counseling in connection with the facilities expansion. "The Partnership provides pro bono opportunities that are well suited for in-house practitioners," said Nancy Blume, coordinator of the Xerox pro bono program. "It gives us a chance to help out in our areas of subject matter expertise, with the flexibility we need to adapt the work to our hectic schedules. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Partnership and in particular the McGivney Center, as well as the Partnership’s other not-for-profit clients." Richard Hobish, Executive Director of the Pro Bono Partnership, noted, "Many volunteer opportunities for in-house counsel similar to the McGivney project have been identified and screened. Our focus now is on making appropriate matches with our volunteers to utilize their unique skills to the maximum benefit of our clients and the communities they serve." To learn more about the Partnership, call (914) 329-0674. Reprinted by Permission of The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel