Spotlight on…Tara Moss, Winston & Strawn Pro Bono Counsel

In this Spotlight Q&A, Winston & Strawn Pro Bono Counsel Tara Moss shares insights on the firm’s expanding pro bono practice.

Why Winston? What attracted you to this role and to the firm?
The role of Pro Bono Counsel provides the perfect opportunity to leverage both my prior work experiences and greatest passions. Given my background as a corporate associate, experience in public service, and passion for working with people, I found my “dream job” when I accepted this position at Winston. I was immediately impressed by the lawyers I met, and could sense there was a deeply embedded commitment to pro bono service. My initial intuitions have been validated throughout my first year here. There is a culture of collaboration and friendliness that makes people want to engage more meaningfully with one another, and with their work. Winston is a place brought to life by the work of stellar people—the attorneys and staff who make it a top notch law firm. I am proud to be part of the Winston team in the New York office.

The Pro Bono team has expanded over the last few years. Tell us more about your role.
I focus on the management of the pro bono practice primarily in the New York office, and the development of transactional pro bono activities firmwide. Specifically in New York, I am driving and developing opportunities that are attractive to our attorneys and impactful to the local communities served. As part of this effort, I regularly partner with local agencies and organizations to connect our volunteers with opportunities promoting access to justice. My goal is to make pro bono projects accessible, manageable, and enjoyable for everyone involved—from the Winston attorneys to the clients served.

As the New York office continues to grow, I am focused on utilizing pro bono as a resource for integration, professional development, relationship building, and sustaining positive organizational culture. I am proud to report that we grew pro bono participation in New York to 91% in 2017, an increase of 8% from the prior calendar year. As I work to engage more attorneys in the practice of pro bono, I hope that we can continue to drive participation in the coming years, and eventually reach 100% in the New York office.

People often assume that most pro bono projects are only conducive to those with litigation experience. On the contrary, there are ample ways a transactional attorney can close the access to justice gap. As such, I endeavor to expand transactional pro bono opportunities throughout the firm globally, and engage more non-litigators. To that end, in my first year at Winston I have promoted the practice of assisting nonprofit organizations, including a few notable in-house transactional projects: Fresh Start, Case Closed, Life Planning Clinic, and the Law for Women initiative; these projects do not require any courtroom experience, and draw upon counseling and drafting skills that significantly impact the lives of pro bono clients served.

What is the most interesting pro bono case you have worked on to date?
During a clinic visit through the Incarcerated Mothers Project, I saw firsthand the power of pro bono service in action. Through this project, volunteer attorneys provide legal advice, information, and advocacy to women in prison who are separated from their children. In many instances, the inmates served have been reunited with children lost in the foster care system. Seeing this project in action was extremely inspiring, especially when the result is a child being reunited with their mother.

Any tips to lawyers looking to get involved in rewarding pro bono cases?
A great way to get involved in the public interest space is to serve on a board. There are hundreds of amazing organizations, and they are consistently looking for board members, as well as junior board members. Serving on a board has so many benefits—not only do you give back by helping a nonprofit achieve its mission, but you also get to affiliate yourself with that mission or purpose.

Another advantage of board service is connecting with other professionals and engaging in business development. Winston attorneys often bring the legal projects of their respective nonprofit organizations to our pro bono practice. From there, we take those volunteer attorneys with the requisite experience, and match them with a specific matter. Board affiliation of our attorneys has generated fantastic pro bono work on behalf of nonprofits.