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APPLESEED PARTNERSHIP WITH ADAMS AND REESE

In the first partnership of its kind, Appleseed has entered into an agreement with Adams and Reese to provide one of its partners, Christy F. Kane, as the ConocoPhillips/Adams and Reese Fellow. Kane's full-time role will be to manage and direct Louisiana Appleseed, a nonprofit organization that works to advance pro bono efforts focused on changing policy in the legal arena. Her position is being funded for one year by Adams and Reese, ConocoPhillips and National Appleseed.

The affiliation was recently announced by Annette LoVoi, National Field Director for Appleseed and the former ombudsman to the late Texas Governor Ann Richards, at the annual Good Apple Dinner in Austin, Texas, which this year honored Charles Matthews, general counsel of ExxonMobil, for his pro bono efforts.

Louisiana Appleseed is a chapter of National Appleseed, a network of 17 public interest law centers across the country whose mission is to develop practical and lasting solutions to chronic injustice. National Appleseed is the standard bearer for legal philanthropy in the United States.

Appleseed works with many law firms across the country, LoVoi explains, but this is the first time a firm is actually providing an attorney who will serve as program director. "We are creating a unique partnership and are overwhelmed at the generosity and foresight of Adams and Reese," LoVoi says. "With Christy at the helm of our Louisiana operation, we can make significant gains in effecting public policy change, especially in Katrina-related legal matters."

Kane, who is actively involved in Adams and Reese's community service, served as the New Orleans coordinator for the firm's pro bono efforts. She commenced her position as the ConocoPhillips/Adams and Reese Fellow on January 1, 2007. Louisiana Appleseed's headquarters will be housed at Adams and Reese's New Orleans office in One Shell Square.

According to Kane, "One of Adams and Reese's core values is community commitment, and we have been recognized for our volunteer programs such as H.U.G.S. (Hope, Understanding, Giving, and Support), which earned us a Points of Light Award. As important as these programs are, many attorneys felt there was even more we could do in the realm of pro bono representation. To that end, the Louisiana Appleseed relationship was born."

She adds, "And to further underscore our dedication to service, Adams and Reese will now require each attorney to participate in the Firm's pro bono work."

Adams and Reese's interest in Appleseed began after Katrina. Former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives E. L. "Bubba" Henry, who serves on the board of the fledgling Louisiana Appleseed, and Martin A. Stern spearheaded the efforts on behalf of Adams and Reese. The chapter will work with National Appleseed to implement its Katrina community report which outlines legal needs of the population most affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Stern says, "In the wake of Katrina, there is significant need, especially in advancing public policy issues. What makes this organization unique is that Appleseed takes the traditional pro bono projects such as writing wills and providing 'child in need of care' counsel into the public policy arena with projects such as immigrant banking."

Kane explains, "Our hope is to get more Louisiana attorneys involved in Appleseed by using their talents and skill sets to better leverage policy and legislative outcomes."

Harry S. Hardin III, a partner with Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre and board member of Louisiana Appleseed, says, "We reach out to all attorneys for their support and offer this challenge: If you have volunteered in the past, we thank you. If you are looking for a way to contribute to Katrina recovery initiatives initially and work with some of the most respected law firms in the country, we invite you to learn more about Appleseed - for now and for the future."

Appleseed Centers have the expertise, the flexibility and the independence to listen to unheard voices, uncover injustices and win the battles no one else fights. Its Centers work both independently and collectively, bringing their own experiences to create local solutions that are nationally relevant.

Appleseed is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a just society. Appleseed is a national group, but works at the local level, establishing and networking independent public interest law centers that identify and address issues community-by-community. As one of the nation's largest legal pro bono networks, our Appleseed Centers develop practical and lasting solutions to chronic injustices in public education, health care, child welfare, justice, and immigration.

Visit our Pro Bono Page