Volunteers Help Nonprofits During PLC Legal Clinic

Approximately 40 volunteers – mostly attorneys – took the time last month to address the legal needs of nonprofit organizations in Orange County.

Nine nonprofits attended the Feb. 5 legal clinic, which was co-sponsored by PLC, Association of Corporate Counsel Southern California (ACC-SoCal) and Snell & Wilmer. The clinic was held at the firm’s Orange County office in Costa Mesa.

More than a dozen Snell attorneys and administrative staff helped host the clinic.

“We are honored to have worked with the Public Law Center, ACC-SoCal and Corporate Pro Bono to host the “Clinic in a Box” program for nonprofit organizations,” said Deb Mallgrave, counsel at Snell & Wilmer. “Our firm has a long standing commitment to community service and leadership. As we look ahead to our next 25 years in Orange County, we hope to have many more opportunities to help those groups that provide critical services to our community.”

PLC Pro Bono Director Kirsten Kreymann said: “We wanted to help nonprofits stay legally healthy so that they can focus on what they do best—providing a variety of services to our community.”

 

Twenty-six members of ACC-SoCal volunteered at the clinic, including a variety of in-house counsel from Cisco, Boeing and Verizon Wireless.

“The Verizon Wireless West Area legal team was pleased to be a significant part of the ACC-SoCal Clinic on Feb. 5, with six attorneys from our team participating,” said Joe Ruggiero, vice president and general counsel, Verizon Wireless West Area. “A pillar of Verizon’s culture is our belief that our technology and the talents of our employees are powerful tools to solve pressing problems in our communities. Through Verizon’s pro bono program, members of Verizon’s Public Policy, Law and Security Department can give back to their communities by helping to fill the gaps for much-needed legal services.”

Jill Kalliomaa, counsel, Verizon Wireless West Area, said: “As the pro bono coordinator for the Verizon Wireless West Area legal team, and a member of the ACC-SoCal Pro Bono Committee, I am very enthusiastic about finding ways to bring in-house counsel together to provide pro bono service to our community. In-house attorneys are often unsure as to how to become involved in pro bono service, and this was a perfect opportunity.”

 

Nonprofit leaders also said they found the clinic helpful.

Lawyers from the Disaster Resource Alliance received legal advice on a number of matters, including input on 501(c)(3) status and draft bylaws.

We greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate in this clinic,” said Vicki McGuinness, executive director of Disaster Resource Alliance. “Working with a panel of three attorneys was particularly beneficial, as each had a unique area of expertise and, combined, gave us a well-rounded evaluation of our current legal ‘health.’”

Nonprofit organizations have roots in the local community, knowledge of specific needs and can, therefore, significantly improve overall community health,’’ McGuniness added. “Yet they can face challenges of their own and funding is a common concern. Free legal help enables nonprofits to watch over their organizational health, ensuring they will remain in the community, meeting essential needs.”

Je’net Kreitner, executive director of Grandma’s House of Hope, added: “I have to tell you that that clinic was one of the most helpful informational conversations I have ever had over a very complex staffing issue. The ideas that were flying across the room were brilliant and creative, and I appreciated each of them.”

To learn more about how you can provide vital legal assistance to our community’s nonprofits, contact PLC Staff Attorney Sarah Efthymiou. To see additional photos of the clinic, click here.