Loeb’s Pro Bono Highlights of Summer 2024: Serving Communities and Advancing Justice

Loeb & Loeb made the most of summer 2024 by spearheading seven impactful pro bono projects between June and August. From guiding adoption cases and educating a community on estate planning essentials to securing crucial documents for exonerating the wrongfully convicted in New York, it was a season of meaningful action and positive change.

Below is snapshot of some of our pro bono efforts this summer.

Loeb Volunteers Drive Poll Worker Research and Election Support Initiatives

Throughout August, five Loeb volunteers collaborated with the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance’s Voting Rights Working Group on a research project aimed at enabling attorneys nationwide to serve as poll workers on Election Day.

As part of their ongoing commitment to supporting and strengthening the democratic process, the Voting Rights Working Group enlisted volunteers from multiple law firms to compile a 50-state survey on the most effective methods for signing up as a poll worker. The aim was to outline the requirements and procedures for becoming a poll worker in various jurisdictions. This information will be compiled into a comprehensive resource accessible to all firms partnered with the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, including Loeb.

Loeb undertook the task of researching the requirements and procedures for becoming a poll worker in two states. Two teams of five Loeb volunteers, both led by associate Nick Warshaw, collected data for Tennessee and Louisiana. In addition to Nick, the firm’s pro bono team included senior counsel Rich Facundo and associates Elena De Santis, Daryl Steiger and Emalie Sundale.

Through the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance’s Voting Rights Working Group, the firm is also partnering with the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) to provide legal guidance and representation to election officials and poll workers who have faced harassment or intimidation related to their election duties. Additionally, from August through Election Day in November, Loeb volunteers will participate in the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Election Protection Hotline, assisting callers with questions about voting, including deadlines, absentee/mail-in voting, and in-person early and Election Day voting.

Loeb Partners with Alliance for Children's Rights to Support Summer Adoption Day Program

In preparation for an adoption hearing on August 20 as part of the Alliance for Children's Rights' summer adoption days, Loeb & Loeb senior counsel Sasha Bass dedicated July and August to supporting adoptive parents in two cases involving children with autism. Sasha’s efforts included guiding the adoptive parents through the adoption process and preparing the necessary documentation. She also represented the parents at the August 20 hearings.

Established in 1992, the Alliance for Children’s Rights protects the rights of children in poverty and those overcoming abuse and neglect by delivering free legal services, supportive programs and systemic solutions. The nonprofit legal services organization’s Adoption Day events—typically held several times each year—are special, celebratory days when the Los Angeles court is exclusively dedicated to finalizing adoptions.

Loeb Helps ICLS Clients Navigate Gender Marker and Name Change Petitions

Loeb hosted a virtual Gender Marker and Name Change Clinic with Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) on August 13. ICLS’ clinic ensures that transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary individuals of Riverside and San Bernardino counties have competent and culturally informed legal representation as they pursue updates to their identity documents. Volunteer advocates support clients throughout the entire process, from preparing and filing forms to obtaining court orders. 

The firm's pro bono team handling the first batch of cases—consisting of five clients—included of counsel Eyvonne Mallett, associates Marina Ahmad, Manish Antani, Michelle Raaka, Teddy Shelby and Medha Sridhar, and paralegals Patrycja Makles-Chuchro and Mariana Nielson.

Loeb and The Legal Aid Society Host Training on Cop Accountability and Wrongful Conviction Initiatives

On July 18, Loeb hosted a training session with The Legal Aid Society, a nonprofit providing free legal representation to low-income New Yorkers, regarding the nonprofit’s Cop Accountability Project (CAP) and Wrongful Conviction Unit (WCU). The session aimed to educate firm lawyers about both projects and inspire them to actively participate in these initiatives. The CAP seeks litigators to support its Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) litigation work and advocate for the transparency of law enforcement records in New York, while the WCU needs attorneys to file Article 78 petitions to obtain crucial documents for exonerating the wrongfully convicted in New York. A total of 30 Loeb lawyers attended the training in person or viewed it online, and seven lawyers and paralegals have volunteered to assist with five cases across the two projects.

Loeb and Paramount Partner to Assist Local LGBTQIA+ Community

On June 13, Loeb lawyers teamed up with in-house counsel from firm client Paramount Global to facilitate an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) pro bono legal clinic for five LGBTQIA+ individuals who are clients of ICLS. An AHCD outlines medical preferences and designates someone to make medical decisions when a person loses the ability to communicate. For the LGBTQIA+ community, it can document an individual’s gender identity and expression—from the pronouns they use to any dead names to avoid—and make sure they have the right people making decisions for them.

During the consultations with the five clients, the pro bono lawyers offered guidance on AHCDs, emphasizing their importance in relation to gender identity. Additionally, the teams counseled the clients on selecting an agent for their AHCD and aided in preparing the necessary documents.

The firm’s pro bono team included partner Ann Chen, senior counsel Sasha Bass, associates Manish Antani, Vanessa Davidson and Teddy Shelby, as well as three lawyers from Paramount.

Loeb Lawyers Present Estate Planning Basics to Harlem Community Members

On June 12, Loeb senior counsel Shu-Ping Shen and associate Ana Maganto Ramirez presented on the basics of estate planning to members of the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI), a nonprofit dedicated to the holistic revitalization of Harlem and the support of its residents. Shu-Ping and Ana, connected to HCCI through The Legal Aid Society (LAS), collaborated with staff from LAS to provide materials and deliver a presentation focused on educating attendees about their estate planning options and considerations.

Building on this effort, Loeb is exploring opportunities to conduct more informational sessions and outreach with various groups and organizations through The Legal Aid Society, further extending its commitment to supporting and empowering local communities.

Loeb Teams Up with Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law

The firm partnered with the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law (the Center), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit committed to protecting victims of domestic violence and improve the well-being of children living in poverty, for an informational session on June 11. Loeb partner Leah Bishop has actively supported the Center through a longstanding pro bono relationship and currently serves on the nonprofit’s Advisory Council. 

During the meeting, Karen Suri, the Center’s deputy director of legal services, provided insights into the Center’s work and explored how Loeb lawyers can contribute, including participating in client assessment intake meetings and representing the Center’s clients in court for limited scope hearings or full representation cases. Loeb senior counsel Sasha Bass, a longtime volunteer at the Center, also shared her experiences with the nonprofit. Five Loeb lawyers have committed to conducting client assessment intake meetings to evaluate potential cases and determine the best avenue for relief.

Learn more about Loeb’s Pro Bono program here.