Pro Bono Institute

Attorney General Holder chatting informally with attendees of the Pro Bono Institute awards dinner.

Esther Lardent, President of PBI introduces the Attorney General, this year’s award recipient. The Pro Bono Institute’s mission is to explore and identify new approaches to - and resources for - the provision of legal services to the poor, disadvantaged, and other individuals or groups unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems.

A view of the audience during the Attorney General'‚’s address. Attorney General Holder told the audience of a key premise important in his vision and career. He explained: "‚“Chesterfield Smith, {a former president of the American Bar Association,} often argued that a lawyer'‚’s skills and training must be used not simply to make a living, but also to make a difference. Throughout his career, he seized every possible opportunity to remind his colleagues that justice is not a special privilege of the rich. It must be the right of all."