Pro Bono
At Latham & Watkins, our pro bono practice has become a hallmark of our firm. It is central to our culture and an important part of life at Latham. We recognize that as lawyers we have a duty to help ensure that the doors of justice are open to all, regardless of income, and that the practice of law includes the unique ability and responsibility to advocate for equal justice and provide needed representation to persons of limited means.
Our Program
Latham personnel volunteer thousands of hours of time and expertise to help those who might otherwise be denied access to the legal system.
As a signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeTM, we have committed to provide, at minimum, the equivalent of 60 hours per US attorney per year in pro bono legal services. We have surpassed this goal every year since making the commitment.
In 2009, with more than 2,000 attorneys, summer associates, paralegals and professional staff in 25 offices across 13 countries participating in our program, Latham provided approximately 250,000 hours of free legal services valued in excess of $100 million.
In the past decade, Latham has provided more than $500 million in free legal services to the disadvantaged and to nonprofit organizations, totaling more than 1.6 million pro bono hours.
We treat our pro bono work the same as commercial work, applying the same quality standards and treating associate pro bono hours the same as commercial billable hours for purposes of evaluation and bonuses. There is no cap on pro bono hours.
Our Accomplishments
Our Pro Bono Annual Review provides a sampling of our extensive pro bono efforts and accomplishments around the globe, as well as highlights of recent awards and recognition honoring our pro bono work. Our pro bono practice is consistently considered one of the top pro bono programs among private law firms, and is as broad and diverse as the attorneys in our firm and the communities we serve. Our accomplishments include litigation, transactional and administrative successes encompassing almost every area of public interest law.
Pro Bono Highlights
Our dedication to pro bono work is a source of pride and reflects a fundamental part of our firm's culture. Please visit the following links to learn more about just a few of the many pro bono activities in which our attorneys are involved:
For more examples of our pro bono work across the globe, view our most recent Pro Bono Annual Review.