INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Felicity Conrad and Kristen Sonday were on very different paths until three years ago
spent with the United States Department of Justice in Mexico City, working to extradite fugitives.As it happens, both were coming to
For Conrad, an opportunity to litigate a pro bono asylum case would set her on a path of wanting to do more for people fleeing persecution
introduced by a mutual friend, they decided to create Paladin, a New York-based SaaS business that today helps legal teams sign up for pro
making through their efforts
program that it uses Paladin to help manage
(Verizon owns AOL, which owns TechCrunch.) Lyft, a newer client, has a 50-person legal department and recently launched its own pro bono
team.Given how quickly immigration and other policies are being changed under the Trump administration and uneven guidance from Attorney
needed but involves litigation matters outside the scope of what they practice, including around immigration laws, social security benefits,
and criminal and domestic abuse matters.Sonday says Paladin has the solution to that, explaining that the seven-person company has raised
all over the world, no matter their size
Basically, it will begin acting as a matchmaker for legal departments, helping lawyers find the pro bono work about which they can feel most
Ultimately, Conrad and Sonday are betting that anything that makes the process of finding pro bono work a lot easier than it is today will
increase the numbers of attorneys who give back to society
