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History and Timeline

Celebrating 28 Years of Pro Bono Service

1981

  •  Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for Action Program is born.

1986

  •  Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for Action Program is renamed Philadelphia VIP, and recognized as the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Pro Bono Program.
  •  Eve Klothen hired as first Executive Director, joining a staff of 2 paralegals and a secretary.

1987

  • VIP implements several new initiatives including training sessions for volunteers, collaboration with Bar Sections and Law Firms to take a certain number of cases a month, and a quarterly newsletter.
  • Recognition Programs, Volunteer Du Jour (Attorney for the Day) and Awards Ceremony honoring volunteers and firms with 100% participation, are initiated to honor VIP volunteers

1988

  •  Nowhere Else to Turn Program is created to help with custody issues in Philadelphia. VIP holds its first custody clinics.
  •  VIP launched a United Way Donor Campaign in order to offer volunteers and supporters a way to contribute to the organization’s mission.

1989

  •  VIP acquires necessary funding through increased grant awards as well as successful fundraisers, and uses technology along with this financial support to move its mission forward.
  • VIP receives several National and Local awards for service to the community that help establish the organization as one of the premier hubs for pro bono legal service in Philadelphia.
  • VIP collaborates with Action AIDS and AIDS Law Project in order to train volunteers to assist clients with legal matters.           

1990

  • VIP and Community Legal Services (CLS) collaborate to help form the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP). Both organizations donate office space and other support for the project.
  • VIP presents its first Business Participation Awards.

1991

  • The VIP Volunteer Handbook is drafted to offer volunteers a resource to ensure that they offer quality and compassionate legal services to their clients.
  • VIP reaches an important milestone: 800 cases referred by VIP to volunteer attorneys that served hundreds of Philadelphians.


1992

  • Haitian Children Refugee Project is formed to help obtain political asylum status for newly arrived unaccompanied Haitian children.
  • VIP reaches an important milestone: 1,111 referred by VIP to volunteer attorneys.
  • “In the Child’s Best Interest” video taped and narrated by KYW reporter Trudy Haynes.

1993

  • VIP and CLS collaborate again to form another project targeted at some of the economic issues that plagued low-income Philadelphians. The Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project (CBAP) is formed.
  • To further its commitment to assisting Philadelphia residents with custody issues, the KidsCAP project is set up to help clients who seek to file custody for a child.
  • Golden Venture – Chinese Refugee Project is organized.
  • Dress Down Days Program is launched by VIP to recruit volunteer attorneys and promote pro bono service. Law firm staffs contribute to VIP in exchange for being able to dress down for one day at work.
  • Sara Petrosky joins VIP as Executive Director

1994

  • VIP, CLS, HAP and CBAP moved from the Sylvania House to 1424 Chestnut Street.

1995

  • In conjunction with the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board, VIP initiates its CLE Program, providing CLE credit to volunteers who accept pro bono cases. 
  • First Year Associates Day, a VIP signature recruitment event, launched to foster relationships with new attorneys to encourage them to participate in pro bono legal work.
  • Margaret DeMarteleire becomes Executive Director. 

1996

  • VIP's 15 year Anniversary is celebrated.
  • Summer Associates Day, VIP’s second signature recruitment event, is inaugurated in order to encourage law school students about to begin their legal careers to learn about pro bono work and VIP.
  • VIP’s Immigration Project is formed.

1997

  • ALEC (A Lawyer for Every Child) Program is created to respond to changes in SSI regulations.
  • VIP performs workshops at Congreso de Latinos Unidos in order to assist Philadelphia’s growing Hispanic population.

1998

  • VIP Staff organizes Spring and Fall Fundraisers in order to secure funding to further the mission and promote initiatives.

1999

  • VIP moved to new offices at 42 South 15th Street, 4th Floor.

2000

  • ALEC Project concluded once changes in Social Security were adequately handled by volunteer attorneys.

2001

  • VIP secures new computers and created a new database to sufficiently track cases, keep in contact with volunteers, and centralize records.                      

2002

  • Philadelphia Bar Association significantly reduces funding to VIP. Pepper Hamilton LLP steps in and gives VIP an invaluable grant to cover the funding gap to ensure that the mission of VIP progressed.
  • VIP raises over $120,000 from firms, the most in VIP history.
  • The South Sudanese Project is formed to respond to the “Lost Boys of Sudan.”
  • Chancellor Allan Gordon appointed a Pro Bono Taskforce.
  • Sharon Browning starts as VIP’s Executive Director.      

2003

  • VIP co-creates LawWorks as a Business Law Section project.
  • VIP starts the Tangled Title Fund to respond to the property title issues of clients in Philadelphia.
  • VIP helps to form the Russian Elderly Project with CLS to address cuts in services to Russian elderly daycare services.
  • VIP develops the Subsidized Permanent Legal Custody Program in collaboration with the Department of Human Services in order to educate clients in the Foster Care System.

2004

  • LawWorks becomes a project of VIP with support of the Business Law Section, LawWorks Steering Committee, the staff of LawWorks and the VIP staff.  The Homeownership and Tangled Title projects become integrated into LawWorks.
  • Family Fun Fest launched, designed to celebrate everyone who is a part of Philadelphia’s pro bono community.  In lieu of a fundraiser, VIP planned a “friendraiser” – a picnic in the park. 200 people attended this event including attorneys, law students, clients, staff from various public interest groups, and their families.
  • After the inauguration of a joint program between the HIAS and Council Migration Service of Philadelphia and Nationalities Service Center based on the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), VIP trains volunteer attorneys in the requirements of VAWA and subsequently referred 8 cases to volunteer attorneys who assisted in filing for asylum.
  • VIP and the Delaware Valley Association of Corporate Counsel (DELVACCA) created “Corporate Pro Bono Day” to recruit corporate counsel to train volunteers in nonprofit law. As a result, these trained volunteers assist nonprofit organizations and small businesses with legal issues.

2005

  • Pro bono practice groups launched at Philadelphia firms to provide a reliable flow of volunteer attorneys for the homeownership prong of VIP’s LawWorks project.  Pepper Hamilton started the first group and remains one of the most successful.
  • Adopt-A-Block is created to expand VIP’s homeownership efforts from assisting individual clients to stabilizing a neighborhood by helping multiple clients in a block.
  • VIP’s annual First Year Associates Day is renamed Pro Bono Opportunities Day to include all attorneys interested in learning more about pro bono service to low-income clients.  This event includes CLE trainings and an opportunity to represent a VIP client.

2006

  • The staffs of VIP, CLS and PLA in addition to another 300 guests attend the joint Anniversary Celebration for the 3 organizations.  Superb food, great music and a memorable slide show reflecting the organizations’ histories resulted in an evening to remember.
  • By the end of the year VIP’s fundraising efforts yield great results to ensure VIP’s financial stability.

2007

  • Corporate Pro Bono Day is a great success, with over 25 in house counsel from area corporations providing services to clients seeking advice about small business and non-profit formation.
  • VIP welcomes the public to its first Open House.  Over 80 volunteers, board members, community members and clients tour VIP’s office, met the staff and learned about VIP’s new initiatives.
  •  VIP secures grants from the Philadelphia Foundation to begin a strategic planning process led by Dorel Shanon.
  • Sara Woods becomes VIP Executive Director.


2008

  • VIP launches new website to remain in constant communication with its clients, volunteers, the Greater Philadelphia Region and the world.
  • Pro Bono Opportunities Day, VIP’s signature recruitment event, hosted by Montgomery McCracken, is attended by 60 attorneys from 20 firms, making it the largest turnout VIP had in the past five years.  After an introduction to the value of pro bono service by Chancellor-Elect Mike Pratt, Professor Lou Rulli and VIP volunteer Rhashida Douglas, four substantive trainings are held on non-profit law, probate/homeownership, custody and public housing.
  • The Samuel S. Fels Fund provides funding to VIP for its new marketing initiative, aimed at increasing awareness of VIP and the number of attorneys who volunteer with VIP.
  • Philly Foreclosure Rescue Effort (FReE) launched.

2009

  • Public Relations firm Furia Rubel agrees to provide pro bono press releases to increase VIP’s visibility in Philadelphia.
  • VIP receives a $21,000 grant from The Walter E. Hering Fund #2, the Henry Griffith and Anna Griffith Keasbey Fund, the Lillian Gest Memorial Fund, and the William P. Gest Memorial Fund #2, of the Philadelphia Foundation to support its general operations.  VIP also receives a $25,000 grant from the Citi Foundation to support its mortgage foreclosure program.
  • VIP Managing Attorney Stefanie Fleischer Seldin named Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year. 
  • VIP Managing Attorney Ourania Papademetrious was named Chair of the Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association
  • VIP win's the TD Foundations "Housing For Everyone" Competition for the second year in a row and received $100,000
  • ABC's Nightline produces a story about VIP's work with the City of Philadelphia's Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Program called "Save my Home."
  • Volunteers and clients were featured in articles published in the New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer surronding the housing crisis and VIP's work to keep Philadelphians in their homes.