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Anyone who has ever had to face the legal system alone is acutely aware how difficult it is to navigate. This, in large part, is because our legal system was created by lawyers for lawyers, so understanding legalese and complex rules is often impossible or overwhelming for the average person. When lawyers take cases pro bono, however, our unbalanced legal system, which rewards those who can afford a lawyer and penalizes those who cannot, finds equilibrium at last. Only through pro bono is access to justice possible for all, regardless of legal literacy, education, or financial means.

Our lawyers are devoted to fulfilling this important ethical obligation but the reason for their participation runs even deeper. They also undertake pro bono representation to give back and support the communities they come from and care about. That is why over the past year, our lawyers have provided a remarkable 30,500 hours for over 30 unique constituencies across the nation.

And they don’t do this good work in a vacuum. Our lawyers invite their in-house counterparts to partner with them on pro bono and social impact work. Not only do these partnerships benefit corporate relationships, but they mobilize more advocates for good, which optimizes impact for marginalized communities and unrepresented causes. It’s a tremendous win-win. We explore the power of corporate relationships in this report by featuring just a few of the collaborations we’ve engaged in with our in-house clients in the past year.

To that point, capturing every single pro bono matter and social impact initiative we worked on in 2022 would require publishing a multi-volume series, so instead, we selected matters that are representative of our firmwide commitment to giving back. The report also highlights our partnerships, celebrates our victories, and shines a much-needed light on the causes that change the world for the better.

We hope our 2022 Pro Bono & Social Impact Report leaves you inspired, moved, and determined to join us in making the justice system accessible not just to lawyers, but to all who seek equity in the law. Because in the end, unless access to the legal system is equal, it doesn’t look much like justice at all. Thank you for your support and partnership in doing good.