/ Rodrigo Velasco Alessandri participated in the launch of the International Pro Bono Network in Washington

Rodrigo Velasco Alessandri, partner at Alessandri & Compañía and member of the Consejo Consultivo of Fundación Pro Bono (the Chilean pro bono clearinghouse) participated in the launch of the International Pro Bono Network in Washington D.C. last Friday, October the 21st.

The meeting presented the objectives of the Network and discussed how the private and public bars in the U.S. can participate in its work.

Latin Lawyer, Friday October 21st

The event was the result of collaboration between the Washington College of Law at American University, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and the Fundación Pro Bono Chile.

Talks at the event tackled a range of issues from the role of the private sector in human rights to regional access to justice initiatives. The speakers included Simpson Thacher & Barlett LLP partner Todd Crider, Washington College of Law dean Claudio Grossman and Marcela Fajardo, the executive director of Fundación Pro Bono Chile.

The network was developed following the Strengthening Access to Justice convention on pro bono work which took place earlier this year in Santiago. According to Alessandri & Cía partner Rodrigo Velasco Alessandri, the network stems from the enthusiasm shown by law firms at the Santiago conference to put together a formal network which will take pro bono initiatives to the next level. So far, the network numbers 13 countries across the continent as participants.

“The idea is to present the initiative and to reach out for more and more law firms to subscribe,” Alessandri says. “Unlike the work being done locally, the international network will focus on promoting the big cases where a precedent may be established in terms of what local government can do to increase access to justice…I think it’s going to be a milestone in terms of promoting pro bono work.”

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