García & Bodán strengthens its pro bono program through Vance Center Alliance
García & Bodán holds a firm commitment and each attorney assumes the responsibility of offering pro bono legal services. This responsibility comes together with the role lawyers play in society and the commitment with justice and equity of the system.
Throughout the years, García & Bodán team has conducted pro bono work, demonstrating integrity, professional ethics, and conviction of all lawyers in each of their Central American offices where the firm has presence.
“This year, we are proud to announce that our commitment with pro bono has strengthened by becoming signatory of the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, an initiative of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, an international pro bono organization part of New York City Bar Association. We, as a Central American law firm, are beyond excited to be part of this initiative”, highlights Terencio García Montenegro, Regional Managing Partner of the firm.
Vance Center promotes global justice by engaging attorneys across borders to support civil society and foster an ethically active legal profession, focusing on the environment, human rights, and access to justice and good governance in America. A foundation of the Vance Center’s work is promoting pro bono practice in legal markets where the pro bono culture is unknown or developing.
“For us at Vance Center, it is a great honor to be able to support the firm’s pro bono efforts,” says Jorge L. Escobedo, Director of Pro Bono at the New York entity.
García & Bodan’s pro bono efforts are being developed in all the countries where the firm has presence, and includes collaborations with bar associations, law firms, law schools, government actors, charities, civic non-governmental organizations including cultural, educational, sports and environmental matters, who do not have the economic capacity to pay for legal advice.
The firm has formed a pro bono committee conformed by Managing Partners, Vanessa Oquelí de Riera from Honduras and Julio Vargas Solano from El Salvador, Partner Graciela Cruz Raudales from Honduras and Senior Associate Fermina Bolaños Meardi from El Salvador, who have responsibilities towards achieving each purpose of the García & Bodán pro bono program.
“We are proud to have a team of attorneys so committed to society and the well-being of our communities, which allows this alliance to be of great benefit to all,” says Graciela Cruz Raudales, Partner from Honduras, and Coordinator of the pro bono program of the firm.