Vault Rankings in Action: The Best Law Firms for Pro Bono
Published: Nov 04, 2020
Pro bono is a fundamental component of a lawyer’s career. Not only is it a professional and ethical responsibility, it is also a way for young lawyers to gain legal experience while giving back to their communities and beyond. Last week, pro bono was especially at the forefront, as October 25-31 was the ABA’s annual National Celebration of Pro Bono. This week-long initiative launched in 2009 as a way to recognize and celebrate pro bono work already being done and to encourage even more participation across the industry.
As part of Vault’s quality of life rankings, we rank large and midsize law firms on their commitment to and support of pro bono work. The rankings are based on the feedback of the more than 20,000 associates who took Vault's Annual Associate Survey. Associates shared a variety of ways that their firms support pro bono, including dedicated pro bono staff, unlimited billable-hours credit for pro bono work, partnerships with local and nationwide nonprofits and organizations, and attorney pro bono recognition programs.
We caught up with some of the top-ranked firms for pro bono to learn even more about their programs. In the following videos, you’ll have the opportunity to hear directly from these firms to learn about how they support their lawyers in pro bono endeavors, specific matters they are working on, and pro bono responses to COVID-19.
Ballard Spahr encourages pro bono work in a number of ways, including through its Racial Justice & Equality Initiative, which currently includes a prison-based gerrymandering litigation project. Check out the video below to learn more about pro bono at Ballard Spahr.
Since she was a junior associate, now-eighth-year associate Lindsay Heck has led the charge at White & Case to help children affected by the Flint water crisis. Check out the video below to learn more about the groundbreaking work she and her team have been a part of at White & Case.
Morrison & Foerster worked on a prominent, first-of-its-kind case about students' right to access to literacy. Check out the video below to learn more about pro bono at Morrison & Foerster.
When COVID-19 struck, Hunton Andrews Kurth didn’t hesitate to help its community partners adapt to a virtual platform, allowing the firm to continue its work with pro bono clients on a variety of matters. Check out the video below to learn more about virtual pro bono at Hunton Andrews Kurth.
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Christopher Auguste, Partner and Co-Chair of Kramer Levin's Pro Bono Committee, speaks about the firm's Racial Justice Initiative. Check out the video below to learn more about pro bono at Kramer Levin.
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Congratulations to these and all of our top-ranked firms for recognizing the importance of pro bono! To view the 2021 Best Law Firms for Pro bono, click here. To view the 2021 Best Midsize Law Firms for Pro Bono, click here.