During the week of November 16-20, 2009, the Vance Center sent a delegation to Lima, Peru to meet with representatives from law firms, non-governmental organizations, law schools and journals to continue the dialogue about the best strategies for supporting the ongoing institutionalization of a pro bono culture and network in Peru. Entitled Cultivating Pro Bono Networks in Peru: A Week of Dialogue, this program occurred just a few weeks shy of the two-year anniversary of the launch of the PBDA.

The distinguished international delegation assembled by the Vance Center included the following: Elise Colomer, Director of Latin American Programs, Vance Center (New York); Todd Crider, Founding Chair & Vice Chair, Vance Center Committee and Partner, Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett (New York); Jaime El Koury, Partner, Cleary, Gottlieb (New York); Pablo Guerrero, Managing Partner, Barros & Errázuriz Abogados and Director, Fundación Pro Bono (Chile); Kristen Hutchens, Attorney, Vance Center; Judy London, Attorney, Public Counsel (Los Angeles); Marcia Maack, Assistant Director of Pro Bono Activities, Mayer, Brown (DC); Guillermo Morales, Partner, Morales & Besa Abogados (Chile); Paula Samper, Partner, Gómez-Pinzón Zuleta (Colombia); Antonia Stolper, Chair, Vance Center Committee and Partner, Shearman & Sterling (New York); and Jonathan Taylor, Attorney, Rainforest Foundation.

As part of the week-long event there was an international seminar on the Peruvian Code of Professional Conduct and Pro Bono at which our delegates served as panelists. Sponsored by the Catholic University of Peru, The World Justice Project, Ciudadanos al Día of Lima (CAD) and the Vance Center, this conference involved discussions on subjects related to professional responsibility and pro bono practice. Topics covered included: conflicts of interest; lawyer conduct in the face of client fraud; confidentiality; the fixing and recovery of fees; maintaining standards of lawyer competence; permissible use of the media in the context of litigation; enforcement of professional discipline; protection of attorney work product; and implementation of the PBDA; In addition, the Vance Center participated in the launch of CAD’s pro bono clearinghouse, the first-ever in Peru. While in Lima the delegation also visited 20 Peruvian firms to promote the PBDA. “Overall the trip had a tremendous impact in terms of presence,” observed Elise Colomer, Vance Center Director for Latin America Programs. Follow up activities will include establishing a regional network to select focal points for pro bono work and pairing of New York firms with Peruvian firms in connection with joint projects. Todd Crider stated that the conference was an “excellent meeting that serves as a textbook case exemplifying what we can accomplish with our model.” To Antonia Stolper, the “best part is the larger context in which Peruvian pro bono implementation is taking place, enabling lawyers to fight corruption, further development, build institutions and become involved in making the country a better place.”