Sustainability initiative

A unique idea

In a world in which a business decision on one continent can impact the bottom line on another, and in which global warming and population growth will affect every individual, DLA Piper’s position as a key global provider of legal services carries special opportunities, risks and responsibilities.

In 2005, DLA Piper created New Perimeter, a unique non-profit affiliate dedicated to providing pro bono legal services that address issues of global concern. New Perimeter enables us to expand our horizons and push the boundaries of pro bono, allowing our lawyers to use their skills wherever they are needed. It also gives lawyers an understanding of other parts of the world on a professional, personal and cultural level.

A typical New Perimeter project lasts from two to three years and provides a team of five to 20 lawyers an opportunity to apply their skills to the problem at hand. Over the course of the project, each lawyer dedicates approximately 100 to 500 billable hours of pro bono legal service per year. In addition to project-related research in his or her home country, the lawyer is likely to visit the project site at least once for a week or more. New Perimeter provides opportunities for some lawyers to spend up to several months onsite.

New Perimeter gives DLA Piper lawyers the chance to take part in challenging projects such as teaching law students in Addis Ababa; restructuring a micro-lending project; developing compliance systems for a nonprofit that fights HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; developing a worldwide system of food banks; and setting up a human rights centre in South Africa. Lawyers involved in New Perimeter projects report that they are among their most memorable work experiences.