Pro Bono Foucs: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Investing in Non-Profits and Communities

In June 2016, Alex Blake – a doctoral candidate at USC – put out “a clarion call for singers in the Los Angeles area to unite to spread a message of hope and unity to a fractured and divided community.” The response was tremendous, and dozens of singers came together to form Tonality, a group committed to bringing arts and culture to all members of the human family by forging unity and compassion through song.

Tonality is a choral group founded in 2016 with the intention of connecting people together through song.

Mr. Blake approached Public Counsel’s Community Development Project (CDP) for assistance in forming a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For many years, CDP has helped organizations working on the ground in our community with corporate formation and other legal problems they encounter. We connected Mr. Blake with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, which provided the pro bono legal support Tonality needed to become an official non-profit!

Today, Tonality performs across Los Angeles. Its musical repertoire addresses issues related to social justice — such as homelessness, gun violence, and equity and inclusion.

Choral Group Tonality performs for Public Counsel’s Board of Directors at our 2017 annual board retreat.

Congratulations to Tonality, and thank you to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP! This terrific result shows how we can generate positivity that radiates out across our city when we partner with those trying to effect change in our communities.