Duane Morris has been awarded the 2018 ABA Business Law Section Pro Bono National Public Service Award. Duane Morris was the only firm honored alongside the Exelon and Intel In-House pro bono departments. Over 1,000 attorneys were in attendance at the Business Law Section Spring Meeting Luncheon on April 13 in Orlando, FL as Kat McGee, of the Philadelphia office, accepted the award on behalf of the firm.
Duane Morris was nominated by Start Small Think Big in recognition of the firm’s pro bono service in 2017. Over 10,400 hours of pro bono legal assistance were provided to more than 400 nonprofits and small business entities started by low-to-moderate income individual furthering the economic development in low-income areas.
One of the many ways Duane Morris contributed was pioneering a plan to assemble teams of legal and financial advisors to provide holistic, integrated advice to Start Small clients with more complex investment and related issues. Start Small Think Big stated, “Duane Morris itself is entrepreneurial in its pro bono efforts with attorneys consistently thinking outside the proverbial box concerning how to increase access to legal services for low-income clients.”
Kat McGee accepting the award on behalf of the firm.
Guest Blogger: Peter J. Cronk, , Duane Morris Patent Attorney
The Patent Pro Bono Program provides free legal assistance to low income inventors. The Program is a product of the America Invents Act (AIA). Under this legislation the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office began working with intellectual property law associations across the country to assist qualifying independent inventors and small businesses. In February of 2014, President Obama issued an executive action calling for expansion of the pro bono programs into all 50 states. As a result of the President’s executive action, new pro bono programs have been springing up all over the country.
Generally, most programs require that an inventor have: (1) income below 300% of the Federal poverty level; (2) knowledge of the patent system; and (3) the ability to describe his or her invention so that someone could make and use the invention. The income threshold is based on how many people are in the inventor’s household. Right now, the Federal poverty level for a one person household is $11,670, so 300% would be $35,010. Because each regional program is operated independently, inventors are strongly encouraged to contact their program directly, review their program’s website, or check out the USPTO’s website to learn about the eligibility criteria. To learn more about USPTO, please visit their website.
Duane Morris pro bono attorneys regularly prepare amicus briefs on behalf of community-based organizations, professional associations, and industry groups in cases with important social implications. Most recently we participated as amicus counsel in Kingdomware Technologies Inc v. United States, U.S.Docket No. 14-916;Whole Women’s Health v. Cole, U.S. Docket No. 15-274andFroio v. McDonald, 27 Vet.App. 352 (May 29, 2015). Thomas R. Newman, a regular pro bono contributor, has written an article on the importance of amicus briefs in various types appeals. The article was published in the New York Law Journal on March 1, 2016. The article was coauthored by Steven J. Ahmuty, Jr. a partner at Shaub, Ahmuty Citrin & Spratt.
When an appeal involves legal issues that are novel or of statewide importance, appellate counsel should consider soliciting amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) participation in support of their client’s position. The first step is to identify potential amici who would be willing to submit an amicus brief to provide the court with information and perspectives beyond what is presented by the parties. For corporate litigants, in-house counsel can be a valuable resource for identifying potential amici and assisting appellate counsel in soliciting amicus participation. Continue reading “Amicus Curiae Briefs: Weighing In on Novel and Important Questions”
