b'ADDITIONAL PRO BONO HIGHLIGHTSACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION ASSOCIATION OF CORPORATE COUNSEL - NORTHEASTMintz has been at the forefront of promoting access to justice in Massachusetts. For several years, Pro Bono Committee Chair SueFor the last eight years, Mintz has hosted Clinic in a Box, an Finegan has served as the co-chair of the Massachusetts Access toannualhalf-dayprobonoclinicdedicatedtoprovidinglegal Justice Commission with the Chief Justice of the MassachusettsadvicetoBostonareanonprofitsusingdozensofprobono SupremeJudicialCourt.TheCommissionprovidesleadershipin-house legal department volunteers. Mintz partners with the and vision on efforts to remove barriers to civil justice for low- AssociationofCorporateCounselNortheast,CorporatePro incomeanddisadvantagedpeople.Asanotableexample,theBono, and the Lawyers Clearinghouse to provide this valuable pro firm played a key role in launching the Access to Justice Fellowsbono opportunity. Program.PrimarilythebrainchildofMintzattorneyMarthaThe morning of the 2018 clinic, Mintz attorney Gauri Punjabi and Koster and Sue, this innovative program pairs retired lawyersformer Mintz attorney Amanda Carozza and senior professional andjudgeswithlegalservicesorganizations,nonprofits,andNancy Sterling trained 40 volunteer in-house counsel on anti-the courts. Susan Gedrick serves as the programs director at theharassment policies and crisis counseling. Later, the volunteer Lawyers Clearinghouse, and Mintz project analyst Jack Gilliganattorneys were paired with over a dozen Boston-area nonprofits and former Mintz project analyst Alex Blutman have providedfor a client counseling session on these topics. At the sessions important support for the program as well. The fellows projectsconclusion,thenonprofitclientsleftwiththeirquestions this past year included addressing discharge of student loan debtanswered,guidanceonhowtoproceed,andnewlydrafted undertheunduehardshipstandard,servingpoliticalasylummaterials as a starting point.clients, doing legal work for the Elizabeth Stone House, mentoring junior lawyers in an incubator serving low- and moderate-incomeBoth the volunteer in-house attorneys and nonprofit clients were clients, providing legal counsel to groups of workers organizingdeeply appreciative of the program.for better conditions, and more. To date, 116 retired and retiring lawyers have devoted over 90,000 pro bono hours as part of the Fellows Program.PERSPECTIVES // Mintz Pro Bono Journal 35'