Lawyers Honored For Volunteer Work Pro Bono Partnership cites Champion attorneys for their community-based assistance In recognition of its "exemplary efforts" to provide free services to deserving non-profit organizations, Champion's legal department at Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters was recently named as the first recipient of the regional corporate bar association's Outstanding Volunteer Award. The honor was presented in December on behalf of the Pro Bono Partnership, a project established by the Corporate Bar Fund for Fairfield County, Connecticut, and Westchester County, New York, that matches in-house attorneys with community-based groups needing legal assistance. Shortly after the partnership was formed in 1997, says its Executive Director Richard Hobish, "Champion took the initiative and reached out to us" with a willingness to have individual lawyers help different organizations on specific legal matters. Additionally, the department as a whole "adopted" an anti-poverty agency known as CTE, Inc. and pledged to provide it with a full complement of legal services, such as reviewing its personnel policies and giving advice on pension documents. "Champion's response to our program has been enthusiastic, proactive, and effective," Hobish says. "The people have really been willing to get their hands dirty and do the work." Steve Brown, senior vice president and general counsel for Champion, says he supports company attorneys donating time to the community. However, traditional legal aid opportunities require certain skills, like expertise in landlord-tenant disputes, that "are not really suited to in-house lawyers," he adds. "When I learned about the Pro Bono Partnership, it seemed custom-made for the kinds of issues we deal with here on a regular basis," including intellectual property, employee relations, and real estate law. "I think there's a real need out there for these kinds of services, and they generally don't require more than a modest amount of anyone's time," Brown notes. "Every person I hear from who has participated in some way indicates it's been very rewarding." One such participant, Associate Counsel Richard Kaplowitz, says he found his work on behalf of the Keon Center, a training facility for the developmentally disabled, to be particularly gratifying after visiting the center and observing the vocational skills taught there. "When I was in private practice, I always was involved in pro bono work, so when I came to Champion, I really wanted an opportunity to do this type of thing," says Kaplowitz, who reviewed Keon's by-laws and provided advice on corporate governance issues. "It's just part of being an attorney – devoting your time and knowledge to helping others."