Frequently Asked Questions
What is Justice in Action?
"Justice in Action" is our name for a legal sprint - a short set of hours where volunteers work together on pro bono projects - virtually - just as they might at a live clinic. The term "sprint" just means that the event will be short and full of content. When the time is up, each volunteer's commitment is complete, even if they are not finished. We will pick up the remaining work at the next event!
Is Justice in Action a non-profit organization? Is it a registered entity for donating or volunteering platforms?
Justice in Action is a pro bono project of Baker McKenzie and not a non-profit. We will inform volunteers the non-profit organization clients for whom each project is completed. If your organization uses a donating or volunteering platform to record time for pro bono, we kindly ask that you directly nominate or record your time to the organization that we will provide (not Baker McKenzie or Justice in Action).
What projects will be offered at these Justice in Action sprints?
The virtual format and collection of many volunteers at one time allows us to do more than one project at each sprint. The projects we are working on in the sprints are not direct representation, but rather focused on research and analysis to create capacity-building tools for vulnerable populations and others who need to understand the law.
Is CLE credit offered?
CLE credit is usually available for the substantive training (1.0 hour).
How is Justice in Action being conducted virtually?
Participants work together using Zoom as a communication tool and Miro boards as a working collaboration tool. A Miro board is an online whiteboard that allows everyone to work on the same platform at the same time seeing each other's work. Everyone works on the same board during the sprint and all the materials and work product is on that board. It is easy to get a free account at www.miro.com.
Who can attend the Justice in Action sprints?
All are welcome! Justice in Action is open to in-house lawyers and professionals - no experience or legal expertise is needed. Projects will cover multiple jurisdictions - folks can come from anywhere to join this virtual event.
Do participants have to stay for the entire Justice in Action session?
Given the nature of the work to be completed, we ask all participants to stay for the duration. Every participant is an essential part of each project team!
Do participants need any experience, pre-work or training in advance?
No. The first hour of the session will include training on the project and on the online platform we use to input the legal research findings (Miro). Volunteers need not do anything in advance of the Justice in Action session to prepare! We have run Justice in Action upwards of 100+ times and our participants consistently feel fully prepared when they complete the training!
Will participants be working in a group or alone?
Everyone will work in teams. If you are coming with colleagues, please note on the Zoom registration that you are participating as a team with your colleagues and note the name of your company or individuals with whom you'd like to work. If you are coming solo or are happy to work with other organizations, please note on the Zoom registration that you are participating as an individual and we will gladly team you up with other participants.
What do participants do when the Justice in Action session is over?
You are done! If your group did not finish your assigned section, others will complete it after the sprint. If you want to continue working on the project on your own time, we welcome that and can make arrangements with volunteers individually by email after the session.
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Pro Bono
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