Guess who spent over 14 hours on the Justice Bus to bring vital legal assistance to community groups in Delano, CA?
The OneJustice network will gather on July 25th to honor Bruce Ives
Bruce Ives, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Hewlett-Packard Company!
I’m not sure where my interest in access to justice started. Suspect I watched too many police shows as a kid and that part of the Miranda warnings about “… if you can’t afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you …” must have stuck. Might also explain why my first job after law school was as a Deputy Public Defender in Los Angeles. I carried the interest with me as I worked on political campaigns and later with elected officials. When I moved to the private sector one of the main reasons I chose HP was because of its long tradition of giving back. The company remains a leader in Global Citizenship with a strong pro bono program that allows our legal team to partner with leaders in the non-profit sector like OneJustice. This gives me, and all of my colleagues, real opportunities to act on our values and use our legal skills to help make a difference. The ability to do that work continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Maybe it’s the reward that really explains my interest in access to justice, but it’s probably those old cop shows.
Bruce Ives on the Justice Bus on the way to Delano.
What is one particularly rewarding experience you have had in your work on access to justice?
There are many, but a real highlight was the Justice Bus trip I joined last summer. We took a bunch of lawyers from HP and Morgan Lewis to the Central Valley on a trip organized by OneJustice. We connected there with the Equal Justice Works Fellow that our firms co-sponsor and did a legal clinic for the community groups she was working with. We met some amazing people, many who were getting involved for the first time to lead local efforts to bring healthy food, clean water and entrepreneurial opportunities to their families and neighbors. For the HP and MLB lawyers the contrasts were striking, between the Silicon Valley and the Central Valley, and between our day jobs and our pro bono work. Yet the most impressive part of the whole experience, and the most rewarding, was the chance to meet and help some real local heroes – homemakers, retired forklift operators, grandmothers – who were stepping up to improve their communities. We all returned inspired.
What is your favorite part of being a part of the OneJustice network?
The most amazing thing about the OneJustice network is the broad number of connections it provides to foster and sustain collective work. One example – the diverse group of supporters it brought forth to support the Civil Gideon Pilot Project funding Bill that was moving through the California legislature in the middle of a terrible budget crisis. Because of this coalition building effort the Bill was passed, and signed, against staggering odds. And that effort has allowed other members of the OneJustice network to launch cutting edge legal services programs around the state utilizing Civil Gideon pilot grants. OneJustice has a unique capacity, because of its range and credibility, to enable so many other partners to expand legal services for Californians in need. It is impressive to watch a small and dedicated team have such a large impact, and it is very rewarding to join in and support their efforts.
Want a visual of Bruce on the Justice Bus? Well, you’re in luck! Equal Justice Works captured the day in a video about the trip, the volunteers, and the Equal Justice Works Fellows at the heart of it all. Thanks to Equal Justice Works for allowing us to share the video here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!