During the firm’s 11th Annual Community Impact Week in June, lawyers and professional staff across our offices participated remotely in a number of educational trainings, acts of service, pro bono clinics, and fundraising. Firmwide, we hosted webinars on the US criminal justice system and police use of force and a virtual training on trauma-informed lawyering.
Our individual offices also held remote trainings featuring local nonprofit organizations, including with the New York Legal Assistance Group and Caritas Russia in Moscow for clients seeking citizenship. In Boston, Morgan Lewis lawyers staffed a remote pro bono clinic for the homeless with The Lawyers Clearinghouse. The week’s other activities included the assembling of family activity kits for Pathways of Hope and meal donations to the Chicago Help Initiative. Offices from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to San Francisco read and discussed books such as “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” and “Talking to Strangers,” which tackle the issues of criminal justice reform and tolerance and communication.
Many offices also heard virtual presentations from local charitable organizations about how the firm can contribute to their work, including Centrepoint in London and Tahirih Justice Center in Houston. This year’s fundraiser went toward organizations that refer pro bono cases to the firm and other charities, along with those fighting for racial justice and equality.