Proskauer is proud of its robust pro bono program offering significant opportunities to lawyers at every level of experience in each of our offices and practice departments. The clients we help include community groups, Iraqi and other refugees seeking asylum, domestic violence victims, artists and musicians, Holocaust survivors, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals among many others. Our lawyers have also played a crucial role in shaping important issues such as gender rights, voting rights, prisoner rights and religious freedoms.
Our motto is “Doing well, by doing good.” We believe that introducing associates to pro bono work early in their careers will help instill in them a commitment to integrating this work into their professional lives. We view pro bono as an opportunity to not only positively impact another life, but also for personal and professional development. Pro bono allows our lawyers to work together while making a difference in the communities where they live and work.
A significant number of our lawyers participate in the program, including more than 75 percent of Proskauer associates, dedicating thousands of hours to pro bono clients each year. More than this, however, our success is measured by what we have done for our clients.
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Through the Iraqi Human Rights Project we have helped more than 160 Iraqi families find safety in the United States.
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We have secured Orders of Protection for more than 50 victims of domestic violence through the Middlesex 209A Domestic Violence Initiative.
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As part of our initiative to provide much-needed support and guidance to families going through the adoption process, our lawyer and staff volunteers have ensured the successful adoption of more than 20 children.
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The firm, in partnership with Public Counsel, the nation's largest pro bono public interest law firm, established a Pro Se Clinic in Los Angeles. Through the services of a Proskauer Civil Justice Fellow, the clinic provides access to justice for individuals representing themselves in federal court litigation. The clinic was funded in part by a donation of attorneys' fees accrued during our work on the case Johnson v. California, which forced the integration of the California prisons.
At Proskauer, we are proud of all that our lawyers have achieved through their pro bono work – we invite you to read our pro bono review, Reach. Connect. Change., which highlights some of these outstanding accomplishments, and to check out the recent news about our program.