Strengthening Pro Bono Collaboration Across the Americas: Vance Center Joins Fundación Pro Bono Chile’s 25th Anniversary

Vance Center staff, representatives of Fundación Pro Bono Chile, and other attendees at the Fundación Pro Bono Chile anniversary gala in Santiago, Chile, November 20, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

A group from the Vance Center, composed of Committee members Antonia Stolper and Todd Crider, Associate Executive Director Jaime Chávez Alor, and Pro Bono Legal Manager Pedro Villegas, traveled to Santiago in November for a week of pro bono events. These included an international seminar hosted by Fundación Pro Bono Chile, the Pro Bono Network of the Americas annual meeting, and a special celebration commemorating Fundación Pro Bono Chile’s 25th anniversary.

Over the three days of panels, strategic meetings, and cultural exchanges, participants reaffirmed their commitment to promoting access to justice and strengthening the rule of law through pro bono initiatives across the region.

The seminar on November 18 featured a panel on “The Legal Profession’s Ethical Commitment to Judicial Independence,” moderated by Vance Center Committee member Todd Crider and featuring Chavez-Alor as a speaker. The discussion highlighted the vital role of the pro bono legal community in supporting judicial associations and safeguarding judicial independence as a cornerstone of the rule of law.

Crider and Chávez Alor addressed some of the common challenges across jurisdictions in Latin America and shared examples of impactful pro bono collaborations. The panel also included insights from Judges Marcelo Gallo Tagle, President of the Latin American Federation of Magistrates (FLAM), and Paulina Rodríguez, Director and Secretary General of the Chilean Association of Judges.

Committee member Antonia Stolper speaks on a panel on “Women, Justice and the Future of the Rule of Law,” during the Fundación Pro Bono Chile anniversary celebrations in Santiago, Chile, November 18, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

Speaking on a panel entitled “Women, Justice and the Future of the Rule of Law,” Committee member Antonia Stolper addressed the important role women lawyers can play in institutionalizing pro bono practice and advancing gender equity in the law. She called for greater participation of women in addressing gender issues and improving access to justice from a diverse perspective.

Additional sessions explored topics such as innovative collaboration models for corporate pro bono engagement, and a special career-oriented session, where experienced legal professionals shared their perspectives with an audience of young lawyers about ways to build strong careers rooted in a commitment to pro bono.

The series of activities continued through November 20, with the meeting of members of the Pro Bono Network of the Americas, Fundación Pro Bono Chile’s anniversary gala, and strategic sessions for participants in the Vance Center’s Access to Justice Practicum program.

Vance Center staff, members of the Pro Bono Network of the Americas, and other attendees during the Fundación Pro Bono Chile anniversary celebrations and Network annual meeting in Santiago, Chile, November 18, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

Pro Bono Network of the Americas Annual Meeting

Representatives from the Vance Center, host organization Fundación Pro Bono Chile, and Network members Centro Mexicano Pro Bono, Fundación Barra Mexicana, Asociación Pro Bono Guatemala, Fundación Fabián Ponce Ordóñez (Ecuador), Alianza Pro Bono Perú, Instituto Pro Bono Brazil, CISPED Paraguay, Comisión Pro Bono Argentina, and Fundación Pro Bono Uruguay gathered for the Network’s annual meeting to review progress and explore new initiatives to strengthen its leadership in Latin America.

The clearinghouse representatives discussed key topics including impact measurement and metrics, engaging with pro bono and in-house counsel, strategic litigation, communication strategies and best practices, institutional strengthening and ensuring the Network’s sustainability. They also presented emblematic pro bono cases and addressed regional strategic priorities like protecting civic space and addressing challenges around migration.

Attendees participated in a practical workshop on “Legal Design: Innovation and Technology to Bring the Law Closer to People,” led by Professors Ricardo Lillo and Patricia Acevedo from the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Santiago.

Vance Center staff, Pro Bono Network of the Americas clearinghouse representatives, and Access to Justice Practicum participants at the Network annual meeting in Santiago, Chile, November 19, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

The two-day meeting concluded with a reception hosted by lawyer Ciro Colombara, featuring a traditional dance performance and cultural expression of the Rapa Nui people, the Indigenous Pacific Islander community of Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

The Vance Center is grateful to Colombara for his hospitality, and thanks Fundación Pro Bono Chile and the firms Carey, Claro y Cía, Colombara Estrategia Legal, and Morales & Besa for welcoming members of the Pro Bono Network of the Americas into their offices for various activities throughout the week.

Recognitions and Gala Celebration

The series of events also offered an opportunity to recognize the many years of collaboration between the Vance Center and leading clearinghouses to strengthen pro bono in their respective countries and across Latin America.

Vance Center Committee member Antonia Stolper presented Fundación Pro Bono Chile and Comisión Pro Bono Argentina with a special recognition on behalf of the Vance Center celebrating the two organizations’ respective 25th anniversaries.

The festivities culminated on November 20 with a gala attended by more than 300 members of Chile’s legal community, where the Vance Center received a special recognition for its 25-year partnership with Fundación Pro Bono Chile.

Vance Center Committee member Antonia Stolper presented Fundación Pro Bono Chile Executive Director Eva Méndez with a special recognition celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary. Photo credit: Vance Center

Vance Center Committee member Antonia Stolper presented Comisión Pro Bono founding president and Advisory Board member Martin Zapiola Guerrico with a special recognition celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary. Photo credit: Vance Center

Access to Justice Practicum

Alongside the series of pro bono events, the Vance Center also coordinated several special events for participants in the third cohort of the Access to Justice Practicum to showcase their achievements and deepen the regional dialogue on access to justice. The Practicum has been generously supported and funded by GE Vernova, DLA Piper and Allende & Brea.

This year’s Practicum participants, Aranza Charles from Mexico and Valentina Glavas from Argentina, joined in some of the Network activities and presented their projects at law firms and universities.

Law firm Bofill Mir hosted a breakfast meeting for the practitioners and students from Desafío Pro Bono Chile, a social justice initiative through which law students identify an issue affecting vulnerable groups and propose concrete legal solutions. Selected teams then spend about six months working to implement their projects, with mentorship support from experienced lawyers and law firms.

The gathering offered attendees a chance to share their experiences and updates on projects they have been developing since February 2025 as part of the Access to Justice Practicum initiative.

Charles, who has collaborated closely with the Centro Mexicano Pro Bono throughout her practicum, shared the positive outcomes of the “Justice for Women” project. Glavas, who worked with the Argentine clearinghouse Comisión Pro Bono, highlighted the value of teamwork and strategic partnerships in successfully implementing initiatives including a project focused on preventing cybercrimes against children, adolescents, and their families.

The Chilean students presented their own projects, enriching the discussion on the vital role of youth in advancing pro bono work.

Vance Center staff, Committee members, and Access to Justice Practicum participants in Santiago, Chile, November 19, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

The Vance Center also organized a meeting between the practitioners and representatives of Chile’s leading university legal clinics.

Charles and Glavas met with Jaime Ignacio Castillo Saldías, Director of the Legal Clinic at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, who underscored the essential role clinics play in training law students and fostering social responsibility. The university requires law students to participate in clinics during the final semesters of their course of study.

They also spoke with Professor Ximena Tudela from the University of Chile’s Legal Clinic, who explained how her clinic’s model integrates academic rigor with practical experience to provide students with a comprehensive legal education.

The Practicum participants concluded their visit with a tour of both clinics, gaining firsthand insight into how these sites address the need to maintain confidentiality and implement differentiated measures to ensure equitable access for individuals seeking free legal assistance.

Vance Center staff, Pro Bono Network representatives, and Access to Justice Practicum participants in Santiago, Chile, November 20, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center