Marlene Halpern

Marlene joined the Center in 2013 and is responsible for developing, maintaining, and expanding relationships with law firms to leverage effective legal support for the Center’s U.S. and Global programs, as well as corporate legal needs. Under her leadership the total valuation of pro bono services to the Center has grown from $4.7 million to over $32 million per year and the Center has come to work with more than 2,300 attorneys in 80 countries. Marlene has also spoken extensively at U.S., global, and bar association events on the integration of pro bono relationships into the Center’s work and how NGOs can partner successfully with law firms. Under Marlene’s direction, the Center has developed relationships with over 80 global law firms, as well as with key regional law firms in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Marlene joined the Center from the Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Practice, where she served as Supervising Attorney for Pro Bono for 14 years. Prior to working for the Legal Aid Society, Marlene was the Family Law Coordinator for Legal Services for New York City, a senior welfare policy analyst with the Children’s Defense Fund-New York, and an assistant clinical law professor at Hofstra Law School. She has also served as a Lecturer in Law with Columbia Law School, where she co-taught the Externship on Pro Bono Practice and Access to Justice.

Marlene received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School after earning her bachelor’s at George Washington University.