We have seen a dramatic increase in housing insecurity among our pro bono clients in recent years. Unfortunately, it’s part of an alarming nationwide trend. According to a recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), homelessness reached a record high in 2024. Indeed, the report found that the number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States – more than 770,000 – grew by 18% from the previous year, while the number of people in families with children experiencing homelessness increased by 39%. In a post-pandemic economy that is generally considered to be doing well, it seems counterintuitive that we would now be experiencing such growing hardship. The report points to several factors driving these numbers:
Tax-Advantaged ABLE Accounts for Individuals with Disabilities
By Tyler Forni on
According to a National Disability Institute report (available here), adults living with disabilities need 28% more income on average to achieve the same standard of living as those without disabilities. There are some tools designed to address this disparity, including Achieving a Better Life Experience (“ABLE”) accounts, a potentially overlooked but useful resource available through state-run programs for individuals with disabilities.
Proskauer Launches Collaboration with the Schools Consent Project – Education is Prevention
By Julia Bihary on
Proskauer is excited to announce a partnership with the Schools Consent Project (SCP) for a new pro bono collaboration in our London and New York offices.
SCP aims to normalise conversations about consent to encourage safe, healthy interactions and reduce the likelihood of young people experiencing or perpetrating sexual harm.
The Reproductive Healthcare Landscape Two Years Post-Dobbs
By Michelle Moriarty on
Just before the 2024 U.S. Election, Proskauer’s Reproductive Rights Steering Committee hosted a panel discussion addressing the current state of reproductive rights two years post-Dobbs.
I was honored to lead this conversation with the panel, which included two lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights, an organization where I previously served as a senior litigation attorney. The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization that uses the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right. During the conversation, Bella Pori, state legislative counsel in the U.S. Policy & Advocacy division, and Alex Wilson, a staff attorney with the Center’s U.S. Judicial Strategy team, outlined the ways the Center’s attorneys and advocates have challenged abortion bans and unnecessary maternal health restrictions, supported expansive policies protecting access to reproductive healthcare, and pushed for access to assisted reproduction. These actions describe some of the many ways the Center seeks to further its mission of ensuring that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights for the dignity, equality, health and well-being of every person.
Election Protection Hotline Wraps Up After Fielding More than 22,000 Calls
By Michelle Moriarty on
As described in a series of “Proskauer For Good” blog posts, Proskauer has partnered with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law since 2006 to help lead the non-partisan Election Protection hotline (866-Our-Vote), part of a national initiative to ensure that the right to vote is afforded equally to all.
Transforming Communities Through the Economic Empowerment of Women
By Wendy Dessy on
Twenty-one years ago, Stacy Francis, one of the savviest ladies I know, established an organization dedicated to providing free financial knowledge for all women who need advice or guidance, regardless of their ability to pay for financial services. She named it, most fittingly, Savvy Ladies.
Proskauer Helps Callers Navigate Complicated Voting Landscape in Runup to 2024 Election
By William C. Silverman on
As Proskauer’s Pro Bono Counsel, Michelle Moriarty not only manages the pro bono program but also participates in some of the Firm’s most impactful pro bono projects. She has volunteered on the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Election Protection hotline for years and will be a hotline captain for this year’s election cycle. Michelle recently caught up with associate Elliot Stevens, who will serve as one of Proskauer’s hotline leads this year, and associate Matt Westbrook, another hotline captain, to discuss their experiences fielding voter calls over the last few weeks.