Prudential Financial Honored with the 2024 Pro Bono Publico Award by the American Bar Association
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2024
CONTACT
Eric W. Hughes
Bershad Director of Communications
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 233-5724
ehughes@vljnj.org
NEWARK, NJ – Prudential Financial (Prudential) has been named a recipient of the American Bar Association’s 2024 Pro Bono Publico Award. The award “seeks to identify and honor individual lawyers and small and large law firms, government attorney offices, corporate law departments and other institutions in the legal profession that have enhanced the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to our nation's poor and disadvantaged. These services are of critical importance to the increasing number of people in this country living in a state of poverty who need legal representation to improve their lives.” Prudential’s enthusiastic embrace of pro bono has set a “gold standard” for volunteerism and supporting communities that have been historically underrepresented and under-resourced, especially in Newark, New Jersey, where the company has been headquartered for nearly 150 years.
Prudential attorneys first began volunteering with its valued nonprofit legal services partner, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), in 2010 in response to the Great Recession and accompanying debt crisis. They quickly became champions in providing legal services to families facing crippling consumer debt, and fast-forward 14 years, the breadth and depth of Prudential’s pro bono efforts support not one, but five VLJ programs: Debt Relief Legal Program, Divorce Program, ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) Program, Tenancy Program, and Veterans Legal Program. In those 14 years, 191 Prudential staff have volunteered with VLJ, donating more than 5,000 pro bono hours, valued at more than $1,750,000.
For a recent snapshot of Prudential’s impact, in 2023, 100 Prudential Law, Compliance, Business Ethics and External Affairs (LCBE) volunteers performed more than 840 hours of pro bono legal service, helping 167 clients and impacting 369 people when including the people living in their homes. And, in the past 5 years, more than 275 Prudential LCBE volunteers have donated their time and talent to eight nonprofit legal services organizations, ranging from Connecticut to Texas.
The Prudential Voluntary Pro Bono Committee strongly encourages their attorneys and paraprofessionals alike to undertake pro bono work, proving a culture of community service runs deep at Prudential. On Prudential winning the Pro Bono Publico Award, Ann Kappler, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Prudential shared, “To be recognized for the important pro bono work we’re doing is an honor. There’s a sense of both responsibility and privilege in doing work that has a profound impact on everyone involved – from the volunteers to the clients to the broader community. This is what continues to drive us to do more, particularly as the urgent need for legal services grows. With valued partners like Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, we know that creating a pathway of opportunities for greater justice and fairness in the society is more than possible.”
Cathy Keenan, Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, remarked, “Prudential has brought dignity and justice to thousands through their powerful pro bono efforts even though they didn’t have to. Prudential’s legal department epitomizes the spirit of the Pro Bono Publico Award, and the fact that Prudential is only the seventh corporation to receive this award since it was first presented in 1984 speaks volumes about their transformative and legendary efforts. Whether keeping families housed at home, providing fresh financial starts, or serving those who served, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is fortunate to have Prudential as a longstanding partner in furthering access to justice. We are excited to celebrate Prudential being recognized for their decades of lifechanging pro bono, generosity, and commitment to making our country a more just place to live and work.”
The Pro Bono Publico Award represents the top honors given by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. The ABA will honor Prudential and four other honorees for their outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for community members experiencing poverty during the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting, taking place July 31-August 6 in Chicago.
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About the American Bar Association (ABA)
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. Learn more at www.americanbar.org.
About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ)
VLJ is an award-winning, comprehensive nonprofit legal services program based in Newark, NJ, with a statewide reach. VLJ's mission is to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty. The Newark-based organization ensures fair access to the legal system through partnerships with corporations and hundreds of volunteer attorneys. In 2023, VLJ’s work impacted over 4,200 people—including 1,644 children—and its volunteer attorneys donated nearly $2 million in free legal services.