To address the pressing needs of those trying to exercise their right to appeal and help alleviate the burden on the court system, the committee developed the Civil Appellate Pro Bono Program. A first of its kind in the Commonwealth, the program provides a weekly legal clinic and individual appellate representation, where warranted. The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Associa- tion (VLP) and Mintz Levin took on the management of the program, opening the clinic’s doors for an initial pilot phase at Boston’s Edward W. Brooke Court Service Center. In December 2015, at the urging of Massachusetts Appeals Court Chief Justice Scott Kafker (now a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court), and with great assistance from the Clerk of the Massachusetts Appeals Court Joseph Stanton, the clinic went statewide, moving to a dedicated space in the Appeals Court. At the free clinic held every Wednesday, trained volunteer attorneys are available for on-the-spot consultations with qualifying litigants, whose cases involve a broad range of civil matters. During these consultations, the attorneys answer questions and offer guidance on next steps. They may help litigants decide whether it makes sense to appeal a decision, provide guidance on appellate issues and procedures, and review appellate briefs or other filings. In addition, volunteer attorneys in a merits review panel assess whether the clinic cases should be referred to participating law firms for individual appellate representation or not. The program has steadily built momentum, and many of the top law firms in Boston, along with legal services organizations from across the state, have stepped forward to provide support. As of September 2017, the civil appeals pro bono program has served 283 individuals with the help of 22 different law firms and in-house legal departments since its inception in May 2015. Mintz Levin attorney Brian Dunphy and attorneys from Goodwin Proctor and Foley Hoag have joined Sue to administer the program. Additional members of the Mintz Levin team have included current project analysts Sarah Engell and Morgan Sandhu, former project analysts Conlan Orino, Emma Nitzberg Follansbee, Warren Crandall, and Parnia Zahedi, and former legal assistant Dan Goodrich, along with numerous attorney and summer associate volunteers. CONCUSSION LEGACY FOUNDATION The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), formerly the Sports Legacy Institute, is dedicated to advancing the study, treatment, and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups, including members of the military. Through its efforts, CLF aims to keep athletes safe, especially children participating in youth sports, and to promote awareness of the risks of concussions and brain trauma. CLF has been at the forefront of raising awareness about concussion risks, and Mintz Levin and CLF have worked together since 2008 as the organization has grown. Attorneys Christine Baker, Keith Carroll, Brian Dunphy, Kelly Frey, Mike Katz, Kate Stewart, and Steve Weiner have provided CLF with guid- ance and advice on a range of matters, including health law, corporate, contract, and intellectual property issues. CONSUMER DEBT COLLECTION CLINIC Facilitated by Matt Brooks, a Greater Boston Legal Services staff attorney and Mintz Levin’s Equal Justice Works Fellow with Fidelity Investments, the newly created Consumer Debt Collection Clinic invites volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and staff to assist individual defendants at debt collection proceedings at the Roxbury Municipal Court. This new clinic is a collaboration with Mintz Levin and Fidelity, and the clinic is staffed with Additional Pro Bono Highlights (continued) 36