Pro Bono

As a pro bono attorney with CFR, you will make a real difference in the lives of families and youth in New York City – and even throughout the country. Whether you are with a firm and looking for fascinating and challenging pro bono opportunities, or working toward the New York requirement of 50 hours of pro bono work in order to join the Bar, CFR offers a unique professional environment. In our groundbreaking, interdisciplinary practice, you will find lawyers, social workers and parent advocates working closely together in a field of law that is still largely misunderstood by the public.

For firms, pro bono projects can include the following:

• Writing and arguing a final appeal on behalf of a CFR client
• Reviewing an appeal and participating in a moot session to help prepare a staff or pro bono attorney for an appellate argument
• Litigating complicated neglect or abuse matters as Of Counsel to CFR, co-presenting the cases with a CFR attorney
• Assisting CFR in negotiating contracts and leases and on administrative and HR projects

For law graduates entering the legal profession, pro bono projects can include:

• Researching a novel area of procedure, evidence or substantive law
• Writing or updating a practice memo
• Augmenting CFR’s resources in a focused area of family, criminal or juvenile defense
• Developing training tools for practitioners in other states who are replicating CFR’s model

Law firms that have assisted CFR with pro bono work include Cantor Fitzgerald, Debevoise Plimpton, Dorsey & Whitney, DLA Piper, Latham & Watkins, Leader Berkon Colao & Silverstein, Proskauer Rose, Schulte Roth & Zabel, Seyfarth Shaw, Sidley Austin, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and Winston & Strawn.

If you are interested in doing pro bono work with CFR, please contact Christine Waer at cwaer@cfrny.org.