Our Networks

The Vance Center’s partnerships with law firms throughout the world enables us to provide pro bono legal representation to our clients. Our own lawyers work with clients to identify their needs, and we then invite law firms to work on the projects with us. Some call for only one law firm, but most often several firms form a team, analyzing the laws of as many or more countries. In such multi-jurisdictional matters, a U.S. law firm, usually one represented on the Vance Center Committee, acts as coordinating counsel.

The Pro Bono Network of the Americas was born in 2011 as an informal collaborative mechanism between lawyers, NGOs, pro bono initiatives and other actors in the pro bono field across the Americas to strengthen access to justice promote respect for human rights and promote the rule of law and democracy in the Americas.

The pro bono work of law firms on our projects is invaluable.  In monetary terms, just what law firms in the United States produce exceeds $6 million annually. Firms outside of the United States often do not calculate a value for their pro bono work, but it’s also worth millions to us.