introduction

If you ask lawyers why they went to law school, most of them will reply that they wanted to help people or wanted to make the world a better place for future generations. Many lawyers act on those early motivations by doing pro bono work—helping individuals, families, organizations, nonprofits, and other community organizations achieve their goals. Our lawyers, along with many of our paralegals, interns, and staff, help to ensure that individual freedoms and rights are protected, that people who are unfamiliar with the court system have assistance navigating this foreign world, and, most importantly, that voices are heard where they otherwise would not be. This past year, our firm contributed more than 13,000 hours in pro bono services to individuals in need and nonprofit organizations throughout the community. The stories and the results of these efforts are frequently shared with friends and colleagues, and they serve to highlight the oftentimes unjust situations that our fellow citizens face in our community and our world. In turn, the stories themselves become a powerful tool for change by inspiring and encouraging the listeners to step forward and volunteer in some way, big or small, furthering the effort to make the world a better place, one act at a time.

“As long as a man is handicapped before the bar of justice because of his poverty, our task as lawyers is not done .”

Robert F. Kennedy