I-ARC’s 5th Anniversary Benefit: “Fast Five” with APBCo
In honor of our upcoming benefit commemorating our fifth year, we wanted to share a bit more about our awardees!
To celebrate those five years, we’ve done a “Fast Five” with our Partner in Justice awardee, The Association of Pro Bono Council (APBCo).
How did APBCo come into fruition?
In 2006, five of our current members founded the organization as an association for dedicated law firm pro bono professionals. As the pro bono industry was booming, the need for professional development, collaboration and best practices was essential. At its inception, APBCo had about 60 members representing. Nearly 20 years later, we have over 400 members representing approximately 150 firms around the world.
If you had to describe your organization in one word, what would it be?
Collaboration
How does immigration impact global policy, in your opinion?
The stress on lawyers and the communities we serve is arguably at its highest point in history. Funding for the legal needs of low-income individuals and those whose civil rights have been violated has been severely lacking for decades. The current attempts to reduce or even eliminate this funding, matched with the attack on our civil rights and civil liberties, only exacerbates the problem.
If there was any advice you could give others in this work to avoid burnout, what would it be?
Our advice to avoid burnout is to: 1) focus on a few critical objectives rather than trying to solve every problem at once; 2) acknowledge, lean on and collaborate with colleagues who are in this fight with you, and 3) work smarter to identify creative solutions rather than relying solely on what worked in past years.
How has collaborating with I-ARC impacted the work of your organization?
Law firm pro bono professionals, simply put, take our lead from our colleagues in the public interest community. Without you, there is no APBCo. With immigration work in particular, it is because of your willingness to guide, train and mentor our lawyers that we are able to achieve success through our pro bono representations. Advocates at organizations like I-ARC are on the front lines of this fight, identifying clients, developing strategies, responding to policy changes, and enabling others - like APBCo members and our respective firms - to join you. It is not just our pleasure to collaborate with you, it is absolutely essential to our success.
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As a reminder, we invite you to join us on May 8, 2025, as we recognize the exceptional legal advocates who have played a pivotal role in championing Immigrant Justice in New York State.
During the event, we’ll celebrate our community advocates and partners, enjoy amazing food, and hear from our CEO, Camille Mackler, as she steps down from her role and passes the torch. We also acknowledge our host committee members–Murad Awawdeh, Julissa Sarragoza, Alison King, and Sara Valenzuela–who have been instrumental in the success of the event.
Tickets are going fast, and this will be an event you won’t want to miss! Register here today!
