ACCESS TO JUSTICE |
FIRM PROFILE
New Perimeter: A Global Law Firm’s Global Pro Bono Reach In 2005, DLA Piper created New Perimeter to push the boundaries - or perimeters - of domestic pro bono to expand to global pro bono. New Perimeter’s mission is to provide long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions of the world to promote access to justice, sound legal institutions, and social and economic development. What sets DLA apart from other law firms is that we have a separate nonprofit with full-time legal staff dedicated to global pro bono. Last year, over 150 lawyers from 38 offices participated in over 35 projects through New Perimeter.
LISA DEWEY US Pro Bono Partner, DLA Piper; Director, New Perimeter Washington, D.C. WE SAT DOWN with Lisa to learn more about her work with New Perimeter. What do you make of the fact that over 5 billion people worldwide face unmet justice needs? It is a startling number. Often people have no idea that even in our own country, 80-90% of those with legal problems go without help. While the figures can be very discouraging, there are an increasing number of collaborative efforts, including the use of technology, that are being developed to have a greater impact on access to justice. The DC Affordable Law firm—created by our Firm, Arent Fox, and Georgetown University Law Center—is an example of an effort to meet the needs of people who may not qualify for civil legal aid, but who could still never afford a lawyer. 72
MSBA.ORG | ISSUE 1 2020