At the firm, we think of ourselves as citizens of the communities where our lawyers live and work. That's why every year, we donate tens of thousands of hours to pro bono matters across the globe.
It amounts to millions of dollars in legal fees donated each year to help those who are unable to pay for services. We also provide assistance to charitable, nonprofit organizations, community development projects and legal service programs for the poor in the United States, the United Kingdom and internationally.
To encourage our lawyers' participation, we consider pro bono hours in our annual bonus program for associates and pay some costs associated with this work.
In addition, the firm sets expectations for pro bono recognition within the firm well above the American Bar Association's recommendation, because this is a firm built on the highest standards of service to our communities, as well as our clients.
In 2011, our lawyers provided more than 71,015 pro bono hours across the firm's global network of offices.
We were also recognized by The 2011 American Lawyer in its Am Law Pro Bono 100, listing the most active pro bono in the U.S.
How to obtain pro bono assistance
The firm works with agencies who assign cases to our firm. In the U.S., cases are also assigned through courts and through our involvement with the Texas Death Penalty Project.
If you need pro bono assistance, we invite you to contact one of the following agencies:
| Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas | (512) 476-5500 |
| Houston Bar Association's Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program | (713) 228-0732 |
| Gulf Coast Legal Foundation | (713) 652-0077 |
| Dispute Resolution Center (a mediation organization as an alternative to litigation) | (713) 755-8274 |
| Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (a joint program of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Services of North Texas) | (214) 220-7400 |
| Inner City Law Center | (213) 891-2880 |
| Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights (Asylum Cases) | (212) 845-5200 |
| New York Legal Assistance Group (Indigent Services) | (212) 750-0800 |
| U.S. Dist. Court for the Southern District of New York Pro Bono Panel (Civil Rights/Prisoner Rights/Other Federal Litigation) | (212) 805-0175 |
| U.S. Dist. Court for the E.D. of New York Pro Bono Panel (Civil Rights/Prisoner Rights/Other Federal Litigation) | (718) 260-2365 |
| Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid | (210) 212-3700 |
| Bexar County Legal Aid | (210) 227-0111 |
| D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program | (202) 626-3499 |
| Lawyers for Children America (child advocacy in abuse and neglect cases) | (202) 663-6818 |
| Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs | (202) 319-1000 |
| Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts | (202) 393-2826 |
United Kingdom |
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| Advocates for International Development | +44 (0) 203 116 2798 |
| LawWorks | +44 (0) 207 092 3940 |
Awards
- Our partner named recipient of James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award.
- The Dallas office was given 2011 Silver Award for Pro Bono Service by Dallas Volunteer Attorneys Association for pro bono efforts.
- We were honored as recipient of the 2011 W. Frank Newton Award.
