DETROIT:

FOR RELEASE: November 1, 2001

General Motors To Receive Award For Pro Bono Efforts

DETROIT: The Legal Staff of General Motors Corporation will be recognized tonight by Community Legal Resources, a non-profit legal services organization that provides free legal assistance to more than 120 organizations and their members, for its funding and volunteer efforts in 2001. Since 1998, GM attorneys have donated more than 1,000 hours to handling pro bono cases for various groups.

"We believe that it is our professional and corporate obligation to support pro bono initiatives for individuals and organizations who would not otherwise have access to the legal system," said Thomas A. Gottschalk, Executive Vice President - Law and Public Policy, General Motors Corporation. "While I am pleased to accept this on behalf of our attorneys who volunteered to help these non-profit groups and some of our neediest community members, I want to encourage other corporations and law firms to commit to helping those who need help the most."

Community Legal Resources was formed in 1998 as a joint program of Michigan Legal Services and the Pro Bono Committee of the Business law section of the American Bar Association. Since its inception, CLR has provided free legal assistance to more than 120 non-profit organizations. The value of these free services, provided primarily through efforts of volunteer attorneys from corporations and law firms, is estimated to be $750,000.

"The positive impact made by a donor or volunteer goes far beyond the face value of its contribution," said Steven Tobocman, Executive Vice President of CLR. "The fact is that without corporations like GM, individuals and groups without the ability to finance litigation would be effectively denied access to our legal system."

In the past year, GM attorneys worked on all types of cases from assisting community organizations in obtaining tax-exempt status to providing real estate and environmental advice to community organizations.

The awards event will be held tonight at the Caucus Club from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.