July.07.2020
The American Lawyer has again ranked Orrick one of the top law firms for pro bono impact in the U.S. and internationally. We rank #5 in the U.S. among the top 200 law firms in the nation, marking the seventh consecutive year our team has been in the top ten on the list. We rank #4 in international pro bono impact.
The rankings reflect our continued commitment to making a social impact: nearly 100 percent of our U.S. lawyers contributed at least 20 hours of pro bono service last year, while more than 86 percent of our lawyers internationally met that standard.
Orrick’s pro bono efforts are led by Pro Bono Counsel Rene Kathawala and Amy Grunske, head of International Pro Bono.
“There has been no time in recent memory when it has been more critical for the private bar to step up to address racial, social and economic injustice,” said Orrick Chairman and CEO Mitch Zuklie. “We are deeply grateful -- to our pro bono counsel Rene Kathawala in NY and Amy Gruenke in London, to the entire Orrick team, and to the firms we are honored to call peers in this area -- for helping us make an impact collectively.”
In recent months, Orrick lawyers have mobilized globally to address issues related to racial and social justice as well as to help communities respond to the Covid-19 crisis. Orrick is partnering with the ACLU Racial Justice Project to represent a putative class of indigent criminal defendants challenging Missouri’s practice of putting them on a waiting list for a public defender which results in the denial of the clients’ access to constitutionally protected counsel.
In addition, our appellate lawyers filed influential amicus briefs in two of the most important U.S. Supreme Court decisions this term strengthening protections for immigrants and the LGBTQ community
Earlier this year, the National Law Journal named Orrick to its Pro Bono Hot List for the fifth time.