ACC STL Celebrates 2023 National Pro Bono Month

ST. LOUIS - Oct. 27, 2023 - PRLog -- ACC STL members are giving back to the community in a big way during National Pro Bono Month, volunteering dozens of hours of free legal counsel and guidance, and volunteering for community services projects.

Patricia Duft, the 2023 ACC STL Pro Bono Chairperson, and Senior Legal Director at Medtronic, said that ACC STL members consistently step up and show up to provide much needed free legal counsel to underserved communities, families, and individuals.

"By giving back to the St. Louis legal community, we gain much more personally than we professionally give to the clients we serve by preserving access to legal services," said Duft. "This is the foundation of our legal framework."

During the past several years, ACC STL members have worked with many not-for-profits, including:

• Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: ACC STL members have addressed a wide variety of legal matters for clients, including small business, real estate, and housing issues.
• Supporting LSEMs Justice Speaks fundraising event.
• Missouri Veterans Estate Planning Clinic in conjunction with the Missouri Veterans Commission office of legal counsel. Veterans and their spouses receive free legal counsel on simple wills, living wills, and power of attorney valued at $35,000 or less. Members gave pro bono hours for three clinics this year in March, August, and October.
• Missouri Voter Protection Coalition: Members provided support to help citizens understand their voting rights.
• Joining with St. Louis University Law School to sponsor Pro Bono CLE opportunities.
• Operation Food Search, a local St. Louis area food bank.
• Annual backpack/school supply drive for local schools.

"ACC STL members are making a real difference in the lives of people in need, and their commitment to pro bono work is truly inspiring," added Duft.

About the ACC STL:

The Association for Corporate Counsel of St. Louis (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, was founded in 1987. The St. Louis chapter has more than 630 members who represent more than 100 organizations. During its 35-year-history, the ACC STL has been recognized as one of the leading chapters in the country by the national Association of Corporate Counsel, having received the Gold Chapter of Distinction in 2019-22. To learn more, please visit, https://www.acc.com/chapters/stlouis/.