Social impact matters

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Mildred Maxwell
5 years ago
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1 Social impact matters That s why more than 90% of Orrick s U.S.-based lawyers completed 20+ hours of pro bono work last year, ranking us #9 among the Am Law 200 firms. We ranked #9 for our international pro bono work, too. If you re looking to join a team that s inspired by making our communities stronger, please visit orrick.com/careers or orrick.com/community/pro-bono. AMERICAS EUROPE AFRICA ASIA orrick.com

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Main US office location: 51 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 www.orrick.com (212) 506-5100 THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 1,000 No.

2 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Main US office location: 51 West 52nd Street New York, NY (212) THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 1,000 No. of Offices: 25 Chairman: Mitchell Zuklie Who s Who How many pro bono coordinators and/or partners does the firm have? 2 Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s) s information below. Rene Kathawala Pro Bono Counsel (212) rkathawala@orrick.com Approximate percentage of his/her time spent on pro bono work/administering pro bono program: 100% Perry Teicher Impact Finance Fellow (212) pteicher@orrick.com Approximate percentage of his/her time spent on pro bono work/administering pro bono program: 100% Does the firm have a pro bono committee? If so, how often does the committee meet? As needed Please describe the composition of the committee: In addition to the pro bono counsel, the committee is composed of representatives from each of our offices. THE SCOOP Does the firm have a written pro bono policy? Can associates bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm? How does the firm decide whether to take on a pro bono matter? Approval by one of two individuals on the committee designated to approve pro bono matters. Has the firm signed on to the law firm pro bono challenge? What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has performed pro bono legal work since 2014? Asylum; Bankruptcy; Civil liberties; Civil rights; Community economic development; Consumer law and small claims court; Criminal Defense; Death penalty defense; Disability benefits; Domestic violence; Education; Elder law; Employment; Environment; Fair housing/tenants rights; Family law; First Amendment and constitutional issues; General Commercial Litigation; HIV/AIDS advocacy; Homeless advocacy; Immigration; Impact finance and social enterprise; Indigent criminal defense; International human rights; Juvenile justice reform; Landlord tenant; Matrimonial law; Nonprofit corporate law; Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions; Nonprofit intellectual property; Parole hearings; Police misconduct; Prisoners rights; Social security law; Public benefits; Real estate transactions; The arts and historic preservation; Veterans benefits/appeals; Voting rights Are there areas of law in which, as a matter of policy or practice, your firm does not perform pro bono work? If so, please indicate the specific areas below. If not, please select none. None List up to 10 of your firm s pro bono clients or partners since 2014, including legal service providers or clearinghouses. Justice & Diversity Center D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program Vault.com Inc.

3 Calvert Foundation Law Foundation of Silicon Valley Lawyers Alliance for New York Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the Bay Area Los Angeles Bar Association New York City Bar Public Justice Center New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Public International Law and Policy Group List up to three pro bono matters/representations that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). City of Richmond: First-Time Use of Social Impact Bonds to Rehabilitate a U.S. City. Closed a groundbreaking transaction for the city of Richmond to sell social impact bonds to raise money that a community foundation will use to buy homes that have been foreclosed on and required significant city expenditures to maintain. Local workers will rehabilitate the homes, which are then sold to people through first-time home buyer programs. Ensuring Access to Humanitarian Relief For Non-Citizens in Three Circuit Courts. When the First Circuit issued a precedential decision in October 2015 that would make it nearly impossible for noncitizens with criminal convictions to avoid deportation, we partnered with the Immigrant Defense Project to fight back. On behalf of our noncitizen client, we filed a rehearing petition which argued that the three-judge panel s ruling contradicted U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Over the federal government s objection, the First Circuit granted panel rehearing an extremely rare step. The panel vacated its opinion, ordered extensive briefing to be filed in less than two weeks, and set the case for oral argument. The Department of Justice sent its top immigration litigator to argue opposite us. Less than three weeks later, in April 2016, the court issued a unanimous opinion departing from its earlier decision and adopting all of our arguments. The decision is a precedent that will ensure noncitizens are not denied the opportunity to seek critical humanitarian relief, like asylum and cancellation of removal, simply because conviction records they do not control and did not create are inconclusive. We brought similar challenges and in 2016 obtained successful decisions from the Fifth and Tenth Circuits on this issue. Exonerating a Nun and Two Other Peace Activists. A senior associate, working with a team of colleagues, won a highly publicized appeal before the Sixth Circuit for an octogenarian Catholic nun and two Army veterans who broke into a government nuclear facility. The clients had been convicted in 2013 for sabotage at the same Tennessee nuclear complex that once housed the Manhattan Project and were sentenced to long prison terms. As a result of the Orrick team s work, the clients were released with time served. BY THE NUMBERS What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your US office(s) spent performing pro bono legal services, as defined by the law firm pro bono challenge, in 2014 and 2015? Do not include summer associate or non-lawyer pro bono hours in your answers. 2014: 64, : 60,248 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s US office(s)? As of December 31, 2014: 694 As of December 31, 2015: 658 Using the number of attorneys listed above, what is the average number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm s US office(s) during the following years? 2014: : 92 What percentage of attorneys employed in 2014 and 2015 in your firm s US office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono work during that calendar year? 2014: 88% 2015: 90% SUPERVISION AND EVALUATIONS Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters? Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates work on pro bono matters? If so, are those evaluations taken into account in determining salary or bonuses?, they are taken into account in determining salary and bonuses Are those evaluations taken into account in determining advancement within the firm? Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? No Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work? Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. 363

4 Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? No Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? Associates are encouraged to attend training sessions organized by third parties, including the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, Human Rights First, Her Justice, Inc., the Lawyers Committee for Civil Right Under Law of the Bay Area, Bay Area Legal Aid, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the Legal Aid Society of New York, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, New York City Bar Public Justice Center, Public Counsel, Sanctuary for Families, the Justice & Diversity Center and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts just to name a few. Orrick regularly sponsors such trainings at its offices and covers the costs of all trainings that our attorneys wish to attend. Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters? Please indicate how many total hours and average hours per person your summer associates spent performing pro bono work in 2014 and Please round to the nearest hour and include numbers only: do not use commas, decimal points or labels. Total hours summer associates spent on pro bono work: 2014: 5, : 4,996 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work: 2014: : 51 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work: 2014: 89% 2015: 93% Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates. Summer associates in our U.S. offices have the opportunity to participate in an innovative program organized by the firm with the support of several of our legal services organization partners and through which a training is given to all interested summer associates who wish to assist survivors of domestic violence, including efforts to obtain fair custody 364 and visitation orders during permanent restraining order and evidentiary hearings. The firm collaborates on this project with organizations including the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and Her Justice. In addition, the firm utilizes summer associates to work on many of our high profile, interesting and sophisticated pro bono matters being handled every day across our firm. Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting? If so, please describe the established program(s) and their duration, if applicable. The firm s west coast offices regularly send attorneys to work four months at a time at local District Attorney offices. What other law-related public interest and community service programs (that are not pro bono as defined by the law firm pro bono challenge) do you offer and manage? For example, list any law school collaborations and public interest scholarships, auctions at law schools, monetary support, or fellowships applicable. Orrick Cares is a firm-wide initiative for Orrick lawyers and staff to give back to our communities by holding signature community building marquee events in each of our locations. In 2015, our colleagues, clients and friends helped us make a difference in communities around the world through more than 40 Orrick Cares initiatives. Orrick s Community Responsibility Program ensures that the firm s resources are strategically organized and deployed to maximize both its community impact as well as opportunities, for example our Orrick Cares initiative, for Orrick lawyers and staff to participate. Through a combination of volunteerism, financial contributions and pro bono legal services, Orrick supports programs that strengthen and build better communities in its focus areas of legal services and education. Since 2008, we have sponsored an LGBT fellow to work at New York Legal Assistance Group, a legal services organization serving New York s most at-risk, low-income populations, as a full-time staff attorney. The fellow was the first legal services organization staff attorney to perform direct representation full-time on behalf of the LGBT community. What non-law related volunteer opportunities does your firm offer? For example, list any work with high school students and non-legal volunteerism for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. The Children s Storefront is a forty-year old independent, tuition-free school based in Harlem that serves pre-schoolers through eighth graders. Orrick s support of the nonprofit began in 2003 and has steadily expanded. Orrick attorneys represent parents and faculty with all of their legal matters, and the firm also represents the school with corporate, real estate and employment law issues. Orrick volunteers 2016 Vault.com Inc.

5 also meet with students on a weekly basis to provide homework assistance and tutorials. In addition, lawyers and staff participate in an annual street fair celebrating the end of the school year, and have also cleaned and planted the Storefront s garden which is now useable for all. The Birthday books program is another cherished tradition. For the twelfth consecutive year, Orrick New York hosted the Legal Outreach Summer Law Internship Program for high school students from Legal Outreach, a nonprofit organization that motivates students from underserved communities in New York City through law instruction, professional exposure and simulations. The summer experience included two mock exercises and the panel of judges included Orrick New York partners. No surprise 100% of Legal Outreach seniors graduated and went on to college. Please list special recognition or awards your firm has won in the last three years for its pro bono work. As a result of its multifaceted pro bono program, Orrick and its lawyers were honored with the following awards and recognition for their pro bono efforts in 2015: National Law Journal 2015 Pro Bono Hot List: Orrick recognized for its cutting-edge work on human trafficking for the International Bar Association. Who s Who Legal Pro Bono Law Firm honoree: given to the firm for the percentage of the firm s total billed hours dedicated to pro bono, the steps taken to institutionalize pro bono, the percentage of participation throughout all levels of the firm and the firm s proudest pro bono moment. Law360 s Top 20 Pro Bono List: Orrick was named to this prestigious list for the third consecutive year Trustlaw Social Impact Award by the Thompson Reuters Foundation: Given to the firm for its collaboration with pro bono client, UnLtd. in developing a report analyzing the legal entities available to profit with purpose businesses across the G8. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Pro Bono Service Award: given to the firm for its long-standing representation of immigrants and others in need in matters of grave importance. Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco Outstanding Law Firm in Public Service Award: awarded to the firm for its demonstrated effort to represent low-income individuals in housing, economic justice and other areas. Animal Legal Defense Fund Advancement in Animal Law Pro Bono Achievement Award: given to the firm for its sustained commitment to promoting the interests of animals in the legal system. Orrick was honored by the D.C. Circuit Judicial Conference at its 40 at 50 breakfast for being one of a small group of D.C. firms that had at least 40% of its lawyers perform 50 or more pro bono hours in Orrick was honored by the New York State Bar Association at its Empire State Counsel luncheon in the Silver category as measured by the significant number of New York-based lawyers who worked no less than 50 pro bono hours in Please add any additional information about your firm s pro bono program. You might want to touch on some of the following issues: firm s pro bono philosophy; procedures for undertaking pro bono; assignments; staffing of pro bono cases; general volunteering opportunities (outside of legal services); salary structure as it relates to pro bono work and billable hours or bonuses; international pro bono; opportunities; pro bono hours by office or region, including overseas. Orrick s tradition always has embraced an ethic of community responsibility. The firm s leaders and its lawyers believe that we are blessed with talents and opportunities to contribute to those less fortunate than ourselves. Our pro bono work enables us to use our legal skills to help individuals, organizations and communities who can benefit from our expertise. Our community volunteerism and financial contributions supplement that pro bono work to further enrich the people and communities where we ourselves work and live. Orrick counts an associate s and of counsel s pro bono hours toward their billable hour requirement. Including pro bono work as billable is intended to emphasize the firm s deep commitment to pro bono work and to encourage the pro bono efforts of our attorneys. We recognize that work on a pro bono matter may occupy a substantial amount of an attorney s time during a particular year and we believe that it is entirely appropriate. Accordingly, we have not established a maximum number of pro bono hours that are counted toward the billable hour expectation. Attorneys are given the opportunity to take on pro bono matters that they are interested in, and are never assigned to such matters. As such, attorneys, including junior-level associates, generally run their own pro bono project and thus can develop substantial professional development in the process. Orrick is also proud to report that attorneys in our non-u.s. based offices have consistently expanded their reach and pro bono impact. In 2015, more than 40% of lawyers based in Europe and Asia worked at least 20 pro bono hours. In addition, our partners and associates have taken leadership positions in organizations such as Pro Bono Deutschland that are elevating the dialogue and action around pro bono. In addition to our pro bono work and serving on boards of various nonprofit organizations, Orrick attorneys and professional staff firmwide organize food and toy drives during the holidays, volunteer to teach in local schools and participate in a variety of fundraising and volunteer days. At the heart of all of Orrick s activities are its core values: excellence and integrity, cooperation and individual respect and enthusiasm and the pursuit of improvement. Our dedication to pro bono and volunteer work perfectly illustrate that the firm s commitment to those core values extend beyond our offices and into the world in which we live and work. Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. 365

We encourage and value pro bono work, supporting the desire and responsibility of our lawyers to give back to the community.

We encourage and value pro bono work, supporting the desire and responsibility of our lawyers to give back to the community. We are proud of our award-winning pro bono practice, and as a charter member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, our firm provides 3 percent or more of our billable hours to a diverse range of pro bono