PHILADELPHIA, September 24, 2012: Morgan Lewis today announced that Pro Bono Partner Amanda Smith and the managing partner of the firm's Washington office, Grace Speights, along with leaders from 12 other national US law firms, met with Vice President Joe Biden and the Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCo) at the White House last week to discuss how law firms can better provide needed legal services to low income Americans.
For more than 100 years, Morgan Lewis attorneys have committed their time and resources to serving the public good. In 2011, Morgan Lewis lawyers contributed over 65,000 hours to pro bono representations, at a value to its pro bono clients of tens of millions of dollars and equaling an average of more than 50 hours per lawyer. These representations span all practice groups and all Morgan Lewis offices; in 2011, nearly two-thirds of the firm's attorneys billed 20 or more hours to a pro bono matter.
"This effort will naturally complement and grow from our existing pro bono program, in which we have historically focused on traditional poverty law matters," noted Firm Chair Francis M. Milone in a memo to the firm.
For more information, please see the press release issued by APBCo regarding the meeting with Vice President Biden.