How Law Firms Can Give Back Through The Learn From Home Project

EVOLVING WAYS OF GIVING BACK

Vicky
3 min readNov 11, 2020

Pro bono means “for good.” True to the oath, the American Bar Association suggests that all lawyers give at least 50 hours of unpaid legal services per year as a professional responsibility to give back to the community. Traditionally, that work has been conducted on a one-on-one basis, with lawyers on the lookout for both people and causes they could help.

Now, how lawyers work for good in many different ways, including computer donations through the Learn From Home Project. The sentiment that doing good is no longer reserved for non-profits is rapidly taking off. The call to go beyond “business as usual,” has reached near-expectation status for bot big and small businesses, including the law sector.

The Learn From Home Projects charitable program is not meant to replace the usual pro bono service, but to help direct law firm donations to a specific need. Learn From Home Project (LFHP) is a dedicated program aiming to create a more socially responsible avenue that involves attorneys and law offices donating their dated office equipment and computers. The fast pace of computer innovation has resulted in more and more powerful systems at lower prices. Every time an office decides to upgrade their computers to gain the latest and most secure systems, they are left with an older computer that no longer meets their current needs. Along with that is a growing awareness that old equipment cannot be dumped in landfills, and most times, they can still be utilized by those who are in need of such devices.

The need for donations of resources is ever-growing. Philanthropy is becoming increasingly overtaxed. There are over 50 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S. who can’t count on government support. Philanthropy is constantly changing and adapting.

The Dilemma Of Discarding Older Devices

Some law firms put their money where their hearts are by setting up their encouraging employees to contribute to important charitable missions. With LFHP, firms can confidently donate their used computers.

Law firms are often plagued with the question of what to do with the sluggish, tired computers. This carries great importance because of the dilemma of client confidentiality. Just as attornies would shred outdated paper documents, files on hard drives have to be kept private or destroyed when discarding older devices. Removing the hard drive from the computer is one of the easiest ways for a law firm to guarantee client confidentiality. Once a device is outdated, there is no reason to further retain the computer, that is where the Learn From Home Project comes in.

FOR GOOD

Socially conscious business models have been sprouting up to help alleviate the stresses on traditional nonprofit and philanthropic entities. Currently, there is a growing need to extend and repurpose technology. It can often be an unforgettable experience that can enhance and align the spirit of everyone in our communities.

Although philanthropic business models have been around for decades, the lines between traditional charity and for-profit companies that support social good are becoming increasingly blurred. Because of this, the private sector is advancing as more and more companies create innovative ways to become more socially conscious.

Learn From Home Project is a dedicated program under the umbrella of Computers with Causes and the Giving Center. LFHP receives donated technology and equipment from members of the legal profession and then gifts them back out to individuals in need who are learning or working from home.

The project is able to accept a wide variety of computer donations throughout the United States. Computer donations, tablet donations, convertible laptop donations, gadgets donations, and bulk donations of servers go a long way.

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Vicky

Volunteer with Giving Center. Dedicated to giving back to the community and those in need.