Ropes & Gray Provides COVID Pro Bono Support

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

A coalition of law firms, nonprofits, and government agencies led by Ropes & Gray launches a COVID Relief program to provide pro bono legal support.

Written by:

Lawwly Contributor

Views:

The impact of COVID-19 has deeply impacted many businesses and nonprofits as they struggle to stay open.

The largest impact of the pandemic has the major disruption to supply chains. The disruption has made it harder for businesses to continue operate and maintain supply. Furthermore, businesses are dealing with lessened demand as citizens either voluntarily stay home or are ordered to do so by state governments.

In response, a coalition of law firms, nonprofits, and government agencies led by Ropes & Gray has launched the COVID Relief Coalition. The Coalition will provide pro bono legal support to help small businesses and nonprofits as well as informational references to additional resources. Additionally, the coalition has also launched a new website enabling small businesses and nonprofits to learn about and apply for emergency loans, unemployment, and other sources of relief as well as connecting eligible small businesses and nonprofits to free legal support by coalition partners.

Partners include the City of Boston, The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Dechert, Fish & Richardson, Foley Hoag, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, Foley & Lardner, WilmerHale, Mintz, Morgan Lewis, Goodwin and Goulston & Storrs.

According to the website, the coalition is seeking additional volunteers to support its efforts. Most immediate need is for general pro bono assistance from lawyers who focus on specific areas of the law, including tax, labor & employment and real estate, among others.

Other resources available on the website include resources on the Small Business Administration and the United States Treasury Department, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the City of Boston, the Boston Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance as well as guidance on the Paycheck Protection Loan.

Acing Law School: Proven Strategies for Earning Top Grades

The Drama of the Online Bar Exam, the NCBE, and 2020 Bar Examinees

2020 Survey Shows $165K Average Law Student Debt at Graduation

Building Bridges: The Critical Role of Networking in Law School

DISCLAIMER: All blog posts with the author "Lawwly Contributor" have been submitted to us through our contributor portal. Lawwly only edits the posts for grammatical and typing errors. The views expressed in the blog posts by contributors are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Lawwly, who shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies presented. The contributor of any post presented on this site is responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for publication. See our policies for more information.