Pro Bono News

Philadelphia VIP Celebrates 30 Years of Providing Legal Access to Justice for Low-Income Philadelphians

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Philadelphia VIP, the hub of pro bono legal services for low-income clients in Philadelphia, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Thousands of volunteers help the organization make a critical difference in the quality of life enjoyed by Philadelphia VIP’s clients in need of legal representation. The 30-year milestones will be celebrated through a series of events and a gala on March 19, 2011. Information can be found at http://phillyvip.org/content/30th-anniversary.  

Philadelphia VIP invites the business and legal community, along with the media, to celebrate 30 years of providing access to justice for those in need by participating in the anniversary events.

  • Philadelphia VIP’s 30th Anniversary Gala: Philadelphia VIP will hold a Gala event March 19, 2011 at the Westin Philadelphia to celebrate the dedicated efforts of volunteers and friends who have supported VIP throughout the past 30 years. Former Governor Edward G. Rendell will be recognized for his outstanding commitment to legal services for the poor with the Pinnacle Award. He will also deliver the keynote address. Philadelphia VIP will also announce the details of its “30 for 30” Challenge at the gala. To purchase tickets for the Gala, visit: https://phillyvip.org/gala. To become a sponsor, contact Samar Aryani, Communications and Development Associate, at 215.523.9568 or saryani_sabet@phillyvip.org.  
     
  • Speaker Series: Philadelphia VIP’s anniversary Speaker Series will feature prominent experts who will discuss topics connected to VIP’s core areas of focus. The first event will take place on February 22, 2011 featuring Keynote Speaker Richard Negrin, Deputy Mayor of Administration & Coordination and Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia. The event will be hosted by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney at their Philadelphia offices at 12:00pm. Negrin will speak about the City programs that have helped maintain income for low-income Philadelphians. To register for the upcoming Speaker Series, contact Christina Ortiz at 215.523.9550 or phillyvip@phillyvip.org. For more information, visit https://phillyvip.org/content/speaker-series.  

Philadelphia VIP was founded in 1981 by the Philadelphia Bar Association and Community Legal Services to meet the legal needs of low-income Philadelphians by recruiting and training attorneys to provide pro bono legal services. Since that time, the organization has recruited and trained thousands of private attorneys to create a pool of attorneys to provide consistent, high-quality representation to low-income clients with critical legal needs.

VIP continues to implement creative and effective ways to bridge the gap between marginalized individuals, families and communities with legal needs and lawyers possessing the skills and ability to meet those needs. Today, VIP’s diverse volunteers serve more than 3,000 clients annually with legal issues that affect basic human needs. Philadelphia LawWorks, a project of Philadelphia VIP, is a pro bono referral program that serves nonprofits, small businesses and homeowners.