Category: Law Firm Pro Bono

In late September, in a move that would drastically change the landscape and even the playing field in evictions and foreclosures, the New York City Council proposed providing lawyers to all low-income residents in these cases. If it succeeds, New York would become the first municipality in the U.S. to significantly combat the power imbalance between landlords and low-income tenants. “Low-income” for the purposes of the bill is defined as having an annual income of less than twice the federal poverty level. In New York, that means a single person making less than $23,540, and for a family of four,

In contrast to her character, Annalise Keating on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder, Viola Davis is known around Hollywood for her extensive advocacy efforts and philanthropy. The show’s producer, Shonda Rhimes, has taken a cue from Davis, as the current season has shifted focus from for-profit criminal defense work, with Keating introducing her promising law students to pro bono service. In the season premiere, which aired September 22, Annalise Keating shakes up her class format at fictional Middleton University in Philadelphia by transforming her typical criminal law class lecture in to a pro bono clinic. Her students and

Many thanks to the law firms that have joined the Law Firm Pro Bono Project for 2016-2017, and welcome back to the following member firms: Choate Hall & Stewart†, Debevoise & Plimpton*†, and Foster Pepper†. Member firms have publicly demonstrated their leadership and commitment to pro bono service. It’s not too late to join! Submit your enrollment form today and you’ll have access to a variety of high-quality resources to help you strengthen and grow your firm’s pro bono program. The Law Firm Project’s mission is to support and enhance the pro bono culture and performance of major law firms in the U.S. and

We’ve previously shared highlights from the 2015 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®, such as information about attorney charitable giving and participation by firm size. Challenge signatories visibly acknowledge their institutional, firm-wide commitment to provide pro bono legal services. They agree that they “will use [their] best efforts to ensure that a majority of both partners and associates in the firm participate annually in pro bono activities.” Participation rates in 2015 increased for both partners and associates: 66.0% of partners and 83.6% of associates participated in pro bono, with an overall attorney participation rate of 74.6%. Many law

In the Spring, PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project released its 2015 Report on the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®, which examines the pro bono activities of Challenge signatories. We’ve previously shared highlights about pro bono time devoted to those of limited means and law firm charitable giving. This year, for the first time, we analyzed pro bono performance by firm size. Firms with headcounts of more than 1,000 attorneys had the highest average pro bono percentage in 2015 (3.77%): Similarly, attorney participation rates steadily rose as firm size increased: We are thankful to all signatories, regardless of headcount, for

Here we go again.  In early June, Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced that it was increasing starting salaries for associates from $160,000 to $180,000, the first material hike in almost a decade.  (The last time law firms made significant changes to the associate compensation scale was in 2007, and before that it was 1999.) Predictably, Cravath’s move triggered similar raises with firms announcing matching compensation scales. As the legal market continues to evolve, the consequences of the pay increases remain unsettled, including their impact on minimum billable hour requirements. Whatever actions law firms take, it is critically important that they