November 16, 2023, marked the second annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day, an industry-wide day of service for volunteer attorneys and legal staff from electric and gas companies. Last year, EEI and Entergy’s legal departments teamed up with Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), the global in-house project of the Pro Bono Institute (PBI), to organize the initiative.

“Electric companies are part of their communities and work to serve customers beyond just providing resilient clean energy,” said EEI Deputy General Counsel, Compliance and Corporate Affairs Victoria Calderon. “The legal profession also has a strong tradition of service, particularly for those who might not be able to afford help. An electric sector pro bono day brings both of those threads together. Our EEI team was thrilled to be able to help those in our D.C. community and looks forward to growing our pro bono work in the coming years.” EEI attorneys and staff partnered with the DC Bar Association to help clients in its small business clinic. 

More than 130 in-house volunteers from electric and gas companies participated in pro bono events that addressed issues such as life-planning documents for seniors; legal name changes for transgender and non-binary individuals; expungement of criminal records; deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) clinics; nonprofit tune-ups; brief advice hotlines and referral clinics; and more.

Participating companies included Alliant Energy, Ameren Corporation, AVANGRID, Con Edison, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, El Paso Electric, Entergy, Exelon Corporation, Otter Tail Power Company, PPL Corporation, and Public Service Enterprise Group. The volunteers served more than 120 clients, with an expectation that more clients will receive services because of trainings that were held as part of EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day. At several events, volunteers developed new resources for nonprofit or non-governmental organizations, which will use the resources to serve additional beneficiaries.

“Pro Bono Institute and its Corporate Pro Bono project were proud to coordinate the second annual EmPOWERing Pro Bono Day,” said PBI Director of Corporate Pro Bono Alyssa Saunders. “This annual industry pro bono day of service shines a spotlight on how in-house counsel and legal staff can help increase access to justice in their communities through their pro bono participation.” 

Read on for examples of how electric company volunteers participated in the annual day of service. 

Alliant Energy’s in-house legal team partnered with Legal Action of Wisconsin for an expungement and background check clinic at the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Southwest Employment Center in Madison, Wis. During the clinic, Alliant Energy’s attorneys and paralegals helped 21 clients navigate barriers to employment, housing, and driving—reviewing arrest history and driving records to determine expungement eligibility, reinstate driving privileges, and in some cases, even request a pardon. 

“Our legal team volunteers appreciate the opportunity to use their energy for a good purpose in the community. We have many repeat volunteers that sign up for every clinic they can, simply because they enjoy it and understand the importance of giving back,” Alliant Energy General Counsel and Assistant Vice President Amy Cralam said. “Many clients are not initially aware that we are legal professionals volunteering to help for free. Once they learn that, and we show them how we can help them, you can see the gratitude all over their faces. They are never shy about letting us know how thankful they are to have this resource and our services. It’s a great way to use our energy for good and make an impact.”

This year, 14 Ameren attorneys and five paralegals assisted with setting up advanced medical and financial directives for underserved seniors alongside Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and Lewis Rice.

“We were pleased to partner with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and Lewis Rice in setting up advanced medical and financial directives for underserved seniors,” said Ameren Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary Chonda Nwamu. "Our legal pro bono program, renewed this year, gives us an opportunity to address critical legal needs of the underserved within our community, and further demonstrates Ameren's commitment to supporting our neighbors and helping our community thrive.” 

More than 30 Entergy volunteers assisted more than 60 clients with life-planning documents for seniors, small succession affidavits for low-income homeowners, expungement of criminal records, brief advice hotlines, clinics, and more. Volunteers served across Entergy’s service territory in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

“While Entergy’s attorneys prioritize incorporating pro bono efforts into our work year-round, we are particularly grateful for this opportunity to join our colleagues across the industry in a focused effort to make a positive impact,” said Entergy Pro Bono Counsel Christy Kane. “We feel privileged to be able to use our skills and training to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Volunteers from Exelon and its subsidiaries ComEd, PECO, and Pepco offered pro bono services in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., respectively. 
In Chicago, attorneys and legal professionals from Exelon and ComEd partnered with the National Immigrant Justice Center and Jenner & Block LLP to assist clients in renewing their DACA status.

In Philadelphia, attorneys from Exelon, and PECO teamed with Blank Rome LLP for a hybrid virtual/in-person name change clinic through the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF).  TLDEF's Name Change Project provides pro bono legal name change services to low-income transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people via partnerships with law firms and in-house legal departments. Nine clients were served through the clinic, which will help match their legal identities with their lived experiences and lessen challenges to apply for schools and jobs. 

In Washington, D.C., Exelon attorneys partnered with Jenner & Block LLP and the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) in a virtual Civil Protection Order Clinic where volunteers assisted survivors of domestic violence in drafting petitions for civil protection orders (CPOs), amendments to existing CPOs, and motions to reinstate CPOs. Supervisors from DCVLP provided volunteers with training prior to the clinic, as well as support during the clinic. Six clients were provided with critical legal services.

“I am proud of our longstanding commitment to pro bono service, which stems from Exelon’s core value of supporting and engaging with the communities we serve,” said Gayle Littleton, Exelon’s Chief Legal Officer. “Pro bono work bridges gaps in justice and access, and we are honored to help those who need legal services.” 

“Programs such as our expungement clinics in Baltimore where we work to remove eligible convictions on a person’s record and allow them better access to jobs that provide for them and their families, the Chicago Bar Association’s ‘Wills for Heroes’ where our attorneys assist veterans in creating wills, our service in Philadelphia helping members of the transgender community prepare name change petitions, and our work in Washington, D.C., assisting survivors of domestic violence in drafting critical legal documents needed for their security and protection, really reinforce for us why we became attorneys. It is gratifying to be able to make a difference in someone’s life,” Littleton continued.

For more information and a full list of participating organizations, visit PBI’s website.