More than 100 members of the legal community, along with students, faculty, staff and alumni of Roger Williams University School of Law, recently gathered for the third annual Pro Bono Collaborative Cocktail Reception.

As a reminder of the group’s unique nature, this year’s reception was themed “Only in Rhode Island.”

The yearly event raises funds to provide legal services for low-income citizens in Rhode Island by connecting some of the state’s larger law firms with community organizations in need of legal aid.

Currently, the Pro Bono Collaborative has about 20 active projects.

“The PBC is a wonderful model for pro bono, directed at the type of work that law firms do best,” said Paul Suttle, chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. “There are many citizens in Rhode Island with unmet legal needs, and anything we can do to provide help to those people is wonderful for the legal system, for the judicial system and the law firms …”

Guest speakers included RWU faculty members, alumni and representatives from PBC and the organizations it aids. •