2023 Pickering Award Recipient

Pro Bono Institute (PBI) is proud to present the 2023 John H. Pickering Award, in conjunction with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) and the Pickering family, to Hogan Lovells in recognition of the firm’s outstanding institutional commitment to pro bono and the inspiring pro bono performance of its attorneys and staff.

Hogan Lovells, a charter signatory to the Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge^® initiative, has been a long-time leader in pro bono.

Pro bono is part of Hogan Lovells’ DNA. As the first law firm to establish a free­standing pro bono practice more than 50 years ago, the firm is devoted to providing free legal services to those most in need of assistance. Their AmLaw Top Ten pro bono ranking for the past two years reflects the firm’s deep commitment to the rule of law and equal access to justice.

Hogan Lovells lawyers dedicate more than 150,000 hours annually globally to bring about change – from assisting families who’ve been devastated by the pandemic to representing those fleeing persecution and violence in their home countries. They contribute their legal skills to help the wrongfully convicted, the homeless and marginalized, victims of abuse, and other underserved populations.

June 2023 marked the three-year anniversary of Hogan Lovells’ Advancing Racial Justice commitment, a formal pledge to devote at least 65,000 pro bono hours through 2023 to breaking down the deeply rooted, systemic barriers that profoundly impact people of color around the world. The firm’s main focus has been on combatting racism in the areas of criminal justice, housing and economic justice, and voting rights.

While Hogan Lovells surpassed its original goal in 2022, colleagues around the globe continue to fight racial gerrymandering, combat hate crimes, protect the rights of the accused, and seek police accountability, among other important work in this space.

These recent successes, among many others, are a testament to the time and effort the firm invests in its communities. In 2023 alone, Hogan Lovells has:

• Finalized a six-figure settlement for a Colorado inmate who was left unprotected from a vicious prison gang attack, despite repeated warnings and pleas for help.
• Advocated for a wrongfully convicted Marylander by arguing for new state standards that would permit dismissal of criminal charges based on due process violations.
• Convinced the U.S. Supreme Court that Alabama’s redistricting maps diluted Black citizens’ voting power.
• Defended a city ordinance that would require Philadelphia firearms owners to report lost and stolen firearms to the police.
• Secured the release of an inmate after 42 years of incarceration under the Maryland Uniform Post-Conviction Procedures Act.
• Filed a lawsuit in Arizona against the U.S. Government on behalf of asylum-seeking migrant families who have been twice separated at the border.
• Secured a victory for North Carolina voters at the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that state courts can review and rectify election-related rules and voting maps passed by state legislatures.
• Assisted scores of individual clients seeking protection orders, immigration relief, government benefits, safe housing, records expungements, and other critical necessities.

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About the John H. Pickering Award
PBI’s award is given in honor of the late John H. Pickering, a distinguished appellate attorney and leader in the legal profession who was equally well known for his extraordinary commitment to pro bono and the public interest. PBI presents the award in conjunction with his law firm, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), and the Pickering family to honor a law firm for its outstanding commitment to pro bono legal services. Read more about the award and view a list of previous recipients.