Morgan Lewis

Pro Bono Clients Making a Difference

What makes a great law firm?

At Morgan Lewis, we recognize that the practice of law is not simply a job - it is a profession. One of the most important and most rewarding obligations of that profession is to provide legal assistance to worthy individuals and organizations in need. Our Pro Bono Practice strenghtens our bonds to the communities in which we practice and to each other and makes a profound difference in the lives of our clients.

Our outstanding commitment to public service and pro bono work is a large part of what makes Morgan Lewis the great law firm that it is.

 - Francis M. Milone, Chair

Who Do We Help?

Pro Bono in 2007

More than 92,000 hours were spent on pro bono representations, at a value to our pro bono clients of tens of millions of dollars.

More than 75% of the firm's attorneys contributed at least 20 hours to a pro bono matter; representations span all practice groups and offices.

Representations included more than 1,100 active matters, including 425 new matters.

Full "above the line" credit given for pro bono time charges.

Morgan Lewis is a signatory to the Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge.

News

08/16/06 Summer Success in Texas — Asylum Cases Test S.F. Interns, San Francisco Daily Journal
Four Morgan Lewis summer associates in the San Francisco and Palo Alto offices pulled off a double victory in immigration court, prevailing for two refugees who fled to the United States to escape persecution in their homelands.
07/13/06 Cell Phone Ban Challenged
Norman Siegel, Esq. and Morgan Lewis are representing eight parents and the Chancellors’ Parent Advisory Council in a special proceeding against the New York City Department of Education, its chancellor, and the mayor.
06/01/06 Preserving Affordable Housing in the District of Columbia, The Washington Lawyer
The DC Bar Association featured the pro bono work of Henry Liu and Ralph Albright, among others, in this article about the affordable housing situation in the District.

Every year at Morgan Lewis, our lawyers and legal assistants devote tens of thousands of hours to pro bono clients. We have provided services to many hundreds of non-profit organizations and have changed the lives of thousands of individuals who otherwise would not have had access to representation. Our colleagues engage in these charitable activities because of their desire to make a difference for deserving people wherever they can.

We had many significant achievements last year as a result of the compassion and effort of those participating in our pro bono program. The substantial growth of our practice in the past is reflected in the following representative pro bono practice areas. Click on an area to read selected highlights of our efforts in 2006: