Pro Bono Partnership 28th Anniversary Gala Celebrates Stronger Communities Through Pro Bono Legal Services

On September 30, 2025, Pro Bono Partnership will celebrate its 28th Anniversary Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City starting at 6pm with cocktails, followed by 7pm dinner.

Pro Bono Partnership (the Partnership) provides free business and transactional legal help to nonprofit organizations serving under-resourced neighborhoods or enhancing the quality of life in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. By leveraging the impact of its in-house legal staff, the Partnership annually recruits and mobilizes hundreds of attorneys from major corporations and law firms to donate their time and skills to its nonprofit clients, enhancing their ability to improve conditions in their communities.

Since its founding in 1997, the Partnership has assisted over 4,000 nonprofits in the tristate on nearly 25,000 legal matters. This support enables organizations to more effectively feed hungry families, house the homeless, promote the arts, protect the environment, and provide essential programs to children, the elderly, immigrants, individuals with disabilities, and unemployed people.

The 2025 Pro Bono Champion Award will be presented to the Prudential Law Department and to law firm Fried Frank and Steven G. Scheinfeld, Fried Frank’s Global Chair of Corporate Department, in recognition of their outstanding service to the community and their deeply-rooted commitment to pro bono work.

The Partnership’s Executive Director Nancy Eberhardt said, “Nonprofits are facing extraordinary challenges, and this year it is especially meaningful to celebrate the work we’re accomplishing together. We’re honored to recognize the outstanding contributions of the Prudential Law Department and Fried Frank. Our Anniversary Gala is our largest fundraiser of the year, and the support we receive ensures we can continue serving nonprofits across the region.”

The evening will be hosted by Ari Melber, Chief Legal Correspondent for MSNBC and anchor of “The Beat,” the longest-running 6pm show in MSNBC’s history. His writing has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Politico and Reuters. Mr. Melber previously spent years practicing First Amendment law and received a J.D. from Cornell Law School. He is a member of the New York Bar.

The cocktail and dessert receptions will feature the Vance Camisa Jazz Quartet, led by piano player Vance Camisa, who is Counsel at Merck and has been an active pro bono volunteer for Pro Bono Partnership for over 20 years.