New Orleans Partner and Adams and Reese Pro Bono Paladin Mark Surprenant authored “ATJ Developing Leadership Internship Program Established” for the December 2016/January 2017 Louisiana Bar Journal. The article provides an overview of the newly created internship program and its inaugural session in 2016.
Surprenant serves as its Pro Bono Paladin and devotes a great deal of his time to providing no-cost legal services to those in need. His dedication to volunteerism and community service stretches back many years. In 1988, he created HUGS (Hope, Understanding, Giving, Support) — the firm’s corporate philanthropy program — and in 2000, he established Caring Adams & Reese Employees (CA&RE), the firm’s official pro bono program.
Surprenant is the co-founder of SOLACE, Inc. (Support of Lawyers/Legal Personnel All Concern Encouraged), a statewide volunteer organization with approximately 17,000 members in Louisiana, plus chapters in more than 25 states. SOLACE primarily reaches out to assist those in the legal community who have experienced some significant, potentially life-changing event in their lives.
Surprenant is also a member of both the American College of Trial Lawyers’ Access to Justice and Legal Services Committee and the Louisiana Access to Justice Commission. In both entities he was instrumental in starting a Distinguished Access to Justice Pro Bono Fellows Program. That program is for those judges and lawyers who have transitioned or are in the process of transitioning from their service on the bench or from their law practice to a point where they are interested in spending at least 20 hours per month in access to justice service to those in need.