WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pro Bono Institute (PBI) is proud to present its 2026 John H. Pickering Award to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. This prestigious award, presented in conjunction with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) and the Pickering family, recognizes Gibson Dunn’s outstanding institutional commitment to pro bono work and the inspiring performance of its attorneys and staff. The John H. Pickering Award will be presented at the PBI 2026 Annual Dinner on Monday, September 28, at Gotham Hall in New York. Find out more about the PBI 2026 Annual Dinner.
A Legacy of Consequential Pro Bono Work
Gibson Dunn’s pro bono practice is core to the firm’s identity and stems from the professional excellence, commitment to justice, and diverse passions of its attorneys. Across the firm’s global offices, the same attorneys who guide multinational corporations through complex deals and bet-the-company litigation devote themselves to representing individuals and organizations who could not otherwise afford counsel. And that pro bono work spans a broad range of issue areas. Through its Justice for Women and Girls initiative, the firm advances the cause of equality for all by fighting for equity for women and girls around the world. The firm similarly helps immigrants, veterans, and small business owners; upholds constitutional rights; challenges religious and racial discrimination; expands access to safe housing; and demands that our criminal justice system lives up to the principles and promises on which it was built.
“It is an honor to present the 2026 John H. Pickering Award to Gibson Dunn,” said Eve Runyon, President & CEO, PBI. “From life-changing individual representations to law-changing impact litigation, Gibson Dunn has built a culture that encourages attorneys and staff to use their skills to advance justice, protect fundamental rights, and strengthen communities.”
“At Gibson Dunn we have always believed that it is the duty and privilege of all lawyers to use their training to make the world a more just place,” said Katie Marquart, Partner and Pro Bono Chair at Gibson Dunn. “This principle, along with the skills, dedication, and diverse passions of our attorneys, have led our pro bono practice to be a leader in the movement for justice and equality under the law. And it is this same principle that lies at the core of PBI’s mission. We are so proud and grateful to accept this tremendous honor.”
In 2025 alone, Gibson Dunn attorneys dedicated more than 240,000 hours to pro bono work (surpassing all prior firm records), valued at more than $321 million, with over 2,000 attorneys participating firmwide and more than 750 new pro bono matters opened. Over the past decade, Gibson Dunn has committed more than 1.4 million hours, valued at over $1 billion, to pro bono work around the world.
Learn more about Gibson Dunn’s ongoing pro bono work by visiting the firm’s website and in their Pickering Awardee profile.
###
About Gibson Dunn
Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm with a dedicated pro bono practice driven by its lawyers’ commitment to advancing justice. The firm deploys its legal resources to tackle pressing social, legal, and humanitarian issues around the world. From impact litigation to direct-service representations for society’s most vulnerable, Gibson Dunn seeks to expand access to justice, fight for equality under the law, and drive systemic change. Last year, lawyers across the firm’s international platform contributed more than 240,000 hours to pro bono work. For more information on Gibson Dunn, please visit the firm’s website.
About Pro Bono Institute
Founded in 1996, Pro Bono Institute (PBI) is the respected resource for all things pro bono with an unparalleled depth of knowledge, resources and expertise. Through its work with law firms, in-house corporate legal departments, and public interest organizations, PBI is the global thought leader in exploring, identifying, evaluating, catalyzing, and taking to scale new approaches to and resources for the provision of legal services to the poor, disadvantaged, and other individuals or groups unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems.
About the PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Project
The PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Project initiative is a global effort designed to support and enhance the pro bono culture and performance of major law firms in the U.S. and around the world. The Project’s goal is to fully integrate pro bono into the practice, philosophy, and culture of firms so that large law firms provide the institutional support, infrastructure, and encouragement essential to fostering a climate supportive of pro bono service and promoting partner and associate participation.