Nearly 200 volunteers from Baker McKenzie and Koch recently joined together from across the world for a unique pro bono project aimed at protecting and advancing the rights of disadvantaged children.
Volunteers worked on a research project called "Legal Access and Achieving Potential Under 18," addressing a series of questions regarding the rights granted to children when they have no legal guardian or caretaker in 49 jurisdictions around the world. They also examined whether disadvantaged children have access to public structures that enable them to participate meaningfully in their communities. The research will be used by Terre des Hommes foundation and the Global Initiative on Justice With Children, and will be published on justicewithchildren.org, serving as a foundational document for the 2025 World Congress on Justice with Children.
Teams gathered in person on January 9 to conduct their research at Baker McKenzie's offices in Chicago, London, Luxembourg, Munich, and Shanghai, as well as at Koch’s offices in Wichita, Atlanta and St. Paul. Additional members from both organizations joined virtually for this unique project, known as a Justice in Action Pro Bono Sprint Around the World. This marked the second sprint for the Baker McKenzie and Koch teams, who gathered in September 2023 for a separate research project.
"Members of our team in Germany, London, Asia and the Americas told me how much they enjoyed this event,” said Matt Ellis, Chief Counsel at Koch and Pro Bono Initiative lead. “Partnering with Angela Vigil and the entire Baker McKenzie team was a great experience on a meaningful project. We hope the final product will empower youth and remove barriers holding them back from reaching their potential.”
“The Koch Pro Bono Initiative empowers all our team members to use their knowledge and expertise to drive meaningful change and help remove barriers so every person can positively contribute to society,” added Ray Geoffroy, General Counsel for Koch. “We thank our partners at Baker McKenzie for joining with us to make this Sprint Around the World a success.”
Baker McKenzie's Justice in Action pro bono delivery model leverages a digital collaboration platform to bring lawyers from all over the world together for a session, or “sprint” — a short set of hours where volunteers work together to make a difference on pro bono projects, virtually, just as they might during an in-person clinic. This initiative has brought more than 3,000 volunteers across the globe together to participate in impactful projects relating to racism, mental health, justice crossing borders, and child welfare since its inception in 2020.
“Our Justice in Action platform provides us with the means to carry out meaningful pro bono work, and our latest sprint with Koch took our impact to the next level. This sprint wouldn't have been a success without the generosity of the volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to the project," said Angela Vigil, Partner and Executive Director of Global Pro Bono at Baker McKenzie.
"We were thrilled to once again partner with our friends at Koch to combine our collective resources and make a real impact together. It was an honor to collaborate with so many at Koch who, like us, are passionate about making a difference in vulnerable communities worldwide and empowering individuals to achieve their true potential,” added Scott Brandman, who serves as the Global Relationship Partner to Koch at Baker McKenzie.
Learn more about Baker McKenzie's Justice in Action initiative here.