Reshaping Pro Bono Work - Our Commitment to Helping Others
VLP was founded by entrepreneurial lawyers seeking to make a difference in their own lives, in the legal community and in the world. VLPers left the comfortable surroundings of a traditional law practice to forge ahead with a new law firm model to create better opportunities for lawyers and the clients they serve. The VLP community service initiatives seek to apply these same entrepreneurial values and skills to help the various local, national and world communities of which we are a part.
As entrepreneurs, we believe we can make big impacts by starting with an idea and taking action, and we pursue game-changing solutions to make a difference in the lives of others. We participate in traditional service opportunities, such as providing food to the hungry and building shelters for the homeless. In addition, we launch and support entrepreneurial initiatives with the courage and imagination to change our communities and the world, such as ridding the world of hunger and homelessness, reversing the effects of global warming and defending the rights of animals. While understanding the risk that some of these initiatives may not succeed, as entrepreneurs we believe that the greater failure would be to not try.
So how do we use our entrepreneurial skills to make impacts as lawyers? Here are a few examples:
We Launch New Ideas. At VLP, we take an entrepreneurial approach to meeting community needs. For example, we all know that small businesses need competent legal counsel to help organize their business. Such counsel provide help and support beyond the legal work itself by reviewing the business plan, facilitating connections and networking with strategic partners and investors. At the same time, it's no secret that most business lawyers shy away from pro bono work because their area of expertise falls outside traditional pro bono categories, which are more litigation oriented. VLP saw the opportunity to promote job creation by matching the need with the resource, and we are launching the Business Law Corps, a new nonprofit that will facilitate the connections between small businesses in need and business lawyers excited to help out. In the process, we plan to reshape the meaning of pro bono legal work, so that small businesses who are not at the poverty level can still obtain the legal assistance they need but cannot afford.
We Make Things Happen. When we see a problem, we look for solutions, even if they do not exist at present. An example is VLP's Green Initiative, which seeks to improve the quality of life in our communities by being an environmentally responsible business. We are proud to be a "green" business with a low carbon footprint, and want to be set an example, and push the envelope, as a model for the legal industry and other businesses in the service sector. Because we have no offices, VLPers do not need to commute each day, thereby saving gasoline, expense and carbon emissions. We have calculated that VLP removes about 90% of the CO2 that would be produced under a traditional law firm model.
We Seek Pro Bono Clients Making Impacts. When we see a company doing great things in the world, and we believe we can add value, we reach out to them to offer pro bono services. Kiva.org is an example. Kiva is fighting world poverty, with its innovative approach to micro-lending, which has yielded over $100 million of loans to the underprivileged. VLP lines up well with Kiva, in terms of our own philosophy and business model, as well as the skills and experiences we can offer. We approach Kiva about a pro bono engagement, and they became our first pro bono client. We are proud to be associated with Kiva and to partner with them to help the world community.
We Share Our Treasure With The Community. We realize that we are the lucky ones. We have roofs over our heads and food on the table. At VLP, we are committed to sharing our resources with others in need. An example is VLP's Food and Fund Drive to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Our drive assisted Second Harvest to feed those struggling to eat during tough economic times. Each month Second Harvest serves an average of 207,566 people, a 17% increase over last year. For many callers in need, it is the first time they are tapping into the Food Bank's services. We collected food at two drop-off locations and also online monetary donations, and more than doubled the normal projections for a firm our size.