Esther Lardent, founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Pro Bono Institute, can be very persuasive. Just ask U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has spoken at nearly all of PBI’s yearly meetings since the late 1990s, no matter how busy her schedule. Ginsburg happens to be a big fan of PBI’s efforts to give poor and disadvantaged communities better access to legal services. But Lardent’s lobbying hasn’t hurt.

“She’s a hard person to say no to,” says Ginsburg.