Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 6246 47 evolving needs. Attorneys Anthony Hubbard, Drew Matzkin, and Gauri Punjabi trained their in-house counsel volunteers. The workshop was developed by Corporate Pro Bono; the Association of Corporate Counsel, Northeast Chapter; Mintz Levin; and Lawyers Clearinghouse, and was hosted by Mintz Levin’s Pro Bono Chair Sue Finegan, attorney Katy Ward, project analysts Haejin Hwang and Parnia Zahedi, and former project analyst Pat Regan. “The program is a way to provide in-house counsel with an opportunity for meaningful pro bono work and the nonprofits with helpful legal insight,” Sue said. 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 kids 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, Sean Grammel, Anthony Hubbard, Cynthia Larose, Kahlil Mitchell, Kate Stewart, Kaoru Suzuki, and Steve Weiner have provided CLF with guidance and advice on a range of matters, including health law, corporate, contract, and intellectual property issues. In particular, Mintz Levin assisted with corporate work related to the organization’s rebranding as the Concussion Legacy Foundation. DC Central Kitchen DC Central Kitchen works to reduce hunger and improve nutrition by recycling food; serving healthy school meals; getting fresh produce into food deserts, neighborhoods where nutritious food is hard to obtain; and training unemployed adults for culinary careers. In the past year, in connection with a strategic reorganization of operations, attorneys Tyrone Thomas and Alta Ray advised DC Central Kitchen on the creation of a new Chief Human Capital Officer position and provided additional services including advising on areas of improvement for the human resources function. Defining Indigency – MA SJC Appeal Attorney Emily Kanstroom represented a Massachusetts veteran in an appeal to the Supreme Judicial Court last year. The basic question was whether he should have been considered “indigent” for purposes of commencing a civil action under state law because he receives some form of veterans’ benefits. The statute provided that a person is indigent if he or she “receives public assistance under…veterans’ benefits programs.” A second issue was whether the clerk at the lower court further ran afoul of Additional Pro Bono Highlights from 2015 (continued) the statute by referring the indigency determination to a judge, instead of simply approving the request. The case was an uphill battle, because the veterans’ benefits our client receives are not “means-tested” or “need-based,” but rather are based on the fact that he is a veteran. On its face, this seemed somewhat incompatible with the notion of an “indigency” statute. But, as Emily argued, there are many situations in which veterans are accorded benefits because they are veterans, and the plain language of the statute does not limit indigency to those receiving only certain types of veterans’ benefits. Although the client did not prevail, the Mintz Levin team succeeded in obtaining some clarity in this area, which is particularly important for the many self-represented litigants seeking a finding of indigency. Mintz Levin attorneys Meredith Leary and Joel Rothman, and former Mintz Levin attorney Robert Buchholz, provided invaluable assistance on this appeal. Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism is a nonprofit orga- nization established with the goal of improving the quality of life for people and families living with autism. The foundation is dedicated to increasing the awareness of autism and the unique challenges that families of autistic people face. In addition, the organization supports these families by helping them find the resources they need and by funding advocacy programs as well as educational, therapeutic, and recreational opportunities. Attorneys Katy Ward, Anthony Hubbard, and Mike Solet assisted the organization with general corporate matters as well as legal work related to a lease agreement. Economic Justice Project With the Economic Justice Project (EJP), Mintz Levin’s transactional attorneys use their skills and resources to help low- income entrepreneurs who are starting or expanding small businesses located in underserved communities in Greater Boston. Once or twice a year, the attorneys involved with the EJP conduct pro bono clinics to address the issues facing small businesses. Some of the entrepreneurs with whom the attorneys meet at the clinic become full representation pro bono clients, who typically need assistance with a range of issues relating to entity-formation, employment, real estate, and intellectual property protection. For example, the firm assisted a new small business with the acquisition of a beauty salon in Jamaica Plain, including the negotiation of the lease agreement and the financing for the acquisition. The firm, specifically attorneys Adam Davey, Peter Gelzinis, and Daniel Follansbee, and legal specialist Brenda Meyette, worked in concert with the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation to help this small business get started. Attorneys Caroline Gammill and Lindsay Leone, current project analyst Haejin Hwang, and former project analysts Patrick Regan and Kristen Chapman coordinated the EJP projects in 2015. In addition to those previously mentioned, attorneys Adam Coffin, Andrew Dean, Anthony Hubbard, Daniel Wilcox, Kaoru Suzuki, and Katy Ward, and law clerk Allyson Wilkinson, also contributed to EJP in 2015. Elizabeth Stone House The Elizabeth Stone House is dedicated to serving homeless families and individuals in a goal-oriented, outcome-driven environment. The agency helps to resolve the issues that make people homeless, including domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental illness, so that they can attain and maintain permanent housing, personal safety, and economic stability. Mintz Levin—in particular, attorney Maryann Civitello—has been involved with the organization for decades. Nine years ago, a two-alarm fire consumed the top floor of one of the organization’s residences. While everyone made it out safely, the building became uninhabitable. Since then, the program has been crowded into the one building that is left. After a four-year search for a new site, an abandoned auto body shop became available within only a few blocks of the agency’s transitional continued Domestic Violence Project at Mintz Levin Mintz Levin’s Domestic Violence Project has helped survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking to protect themselves and their children since its founding in 1989 by two first-year associates. In addition to providing pro bono legal services for individuals and families, the firm’s attorneys have served as pro bono counsel to many nonprofit organizations that work to combat domestic violence or support its victims by providing them with legal advice or representation on corporate, employment, immigration, tax, and governance matters. Several of the firm’s offices participate in this important work. We have also helped to draft laws, and lobbied at the state and federal levels, to enact reforms that help survivors and their children.