It was over coffee with a friend in 2009 that Nancy Reiner, amid headlines announcing that Earth was in the midst of its second warmest year on record, decided to act. The stakes, like the barometer, were rising. “A bell went off in my head,” she recalls. “We came up with the idea that I could use my skill set and legal connections to match attorneys with pro bono work for social enterprises and organizations focused on climate change.” Reiner’s idea became Green Pro Bono, founded in 2010, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that helps environmental change makers — including social entrepreneurs and environmental advocacy groups — obtain the legal assistance they need in their fight against climate change. Green Pro Bono matches clients with lawyers and law firms who provide pro bono legal services, including counseling on matters like financial issues and avoiding high-risk communications, advising on tech issues for an app that assesses the sustainability of products — “or it could be that a business is going to reduce food waste and packaging, and they need a compliance lawyer,” Reiner says. These are just a few examples of how Green Pro Bono helps “expedite innovations necessary to combat climate change.”

To date, Green Pro Bono’s network of more than 250 lawyers and law firms has provided more than $2.3 million in legal services to more than 200 clients. To Reiner’s knowledge, Green Pro Bono remains the only legal pro bono matchmaker in the United States focused on climate change.

Reiner, a longtime environmental advocate, worked in both environmental litigation and environmental insurance litigation after graduating from Northeastern Law. She went on to become a partner at Brown Rudnick in Boston, where she counseled clients in complex business, environmental and public interest litigation matters. Since 2011, she’s been an executive search consultant and recruiter with the Boston office of global legal recruiter Major, Lindsey & Africa, placing scores of senior attorneys in corporate legal departments across an array of industries, from disruptive tech and biotech companies to major global corporations.

In February, Green Pro Bono hosted a panel discussion in Boston that focused on how experts are using storytelling and data to amplify climate-related calls to action. The event was critical in building momentum and awareness around Green Pro Bono’s efforts, Reiner says. Panelists included Betty Francisco ’98, CEO of Boston Impact Initiative.

When she talks about Green Pro Bono’s mission, people not only listen; they also feel compelled to action.”

— Justine Fritch ’22

Helping to position Green Pro Bono are a pair of Northeastern Law alumnae: Executive Director Stephanie Demetry ’21 and Strategic Development Director Justine Fritch ’22. Demetry was an associate at Ropes & Gray in Boston before deciding to transition to “mission-driven work” and joining Green Pro Bono in 2022. “Nancy’s enthusiasm for Green Pro Bono and its mission constantly draws people in,” says Demetry. “There is rarely a week that goes by where we don’t hear from her about a new colleague, friend or acquaintance who is interested in learning more about what we do or getting involved.”

Fritch’s interest in nonprofit law and running operations drew her to the organization in 2022 — as well as Green Pro Bono’s unflagging commitment to its cause. “Nancy is one of the most enthusiastic and motivating people I have ever met,” says Fritch. “When she talks about Green Pro Bono’s important work and mission, people not only listen; they also feel welcomed into the fold and compelled to action.”

Reiner’s current focus is increasing her fundraising efforts to expand the organization’s operations. Her efforts are fueled by an irrepressible optimism and the surety that her top-notch team is making an impact. “We’re now taking Green Pro Bono to the next level,” she says. “We’re at an inflection point, where we’re going to grow quickly and assist even more critically important climatefocused entities. I’m so excited about that.”