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 clients. Cleary Gottlieb believes that pro bono work creates an opportunity for equal justice, enabling lawyers to address the unmet legal needs of those with limited access to legal services. We encourage and value pro bono work, supporting the desire and responsibility of our lawyers to give back to the community. For more information about our practice, visit: https://www.clearygottlieb.com/probono clearygottlieb.com
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Main US office location: One Liberty Plaza New York, NY 10006 www.clearygottlieb.com (212) 225-2000 THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 1,318 No. of Offices: 16 Managing Partner: Mark Leddy 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. Jennifer L. Kroman Director of Pro Bono Practice (212) 225-2348 jkroman@cgsh.com Approximate percentage of his/her time spent on pro bono work/administering pro bono program: 100% Akilah M. Browne Pro Bono Coordinator (212) 225-3462 ambrowne@cgsh.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? Quarterly Please describe the composition of the committee (500 character limit): The New York, Washington, D.C. and London offices have pro bono committees comprised of associates and partners. The committees meet regularly throughout the year to discuss and improve ways in which pro bono work is done at the firm. 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? The firm will consider taking on a matter pro bono where: 1) the potential client is a person or organization with a genuine need of pro bono legal representation, 2) there is a respectable legal argument that deserves to be aired, 3) there are committed lawyers who want to take on the assignment, and 4) there are no conflicts or other issues that would make taking on the assignment imprudent. 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 rights; Community economic development; Death penalty defense; Disability benefits; Domestic violence; Education; Elder law; Employment; Environment; Fair housing/tenants rights; Family law; First Amendment and constitutional issues; HIV/AIDS advocacy; Homeless advocacy; Immigration; Indigent criminal defense; Juvenile justice reform; Nonprofit corporate law; Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions; Nonprofit intellectual property; Parole hearings; Police misconduct; Prisoners rights; Social security law; Probate law; Public benefits; Real estate transactions; The arts and historic preservation; Veterans benefits/appeals; Voting rights 79
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. The Bronx Defenders DC Bar Pro Bono Program Human Rights First Lawyers Alliance for New York The Legal Aid Society MFY Legal Services, Inc. New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Public International Law & Policy Group Sanctuary for Families Start Small Think Big List up to three pro bono matters/representations that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). In September 2016, Cleary won a significant victory in an innocence case on behalf of pro bono client, Clifford Jones. The New York State Supreme Court granted the firm s motion to vacate Mr. Jones criminal convictions for murder, rape, and robbery based on newly-discovered DNA evidence. Mr. Jones served 29 years in prison and had always maintained his innocence. In 2008, the firm became involved and successfully moved to have DNA testing done on certain evidence in the case. A DNA expert excluded Mr. Jones as a possible perpetrator in the crime, and the Manhattan DA consented to the firm s motion to vacate Mr. Jones convictions. This is believed to be the first time the Manhattan DA s Office s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) has publicly consented to the vacatur of a conviction of murder, and the first time it has consented to vacatur of any conviction based on DNA evidence. In 2015, Cleary prevailed in an eight-day jury trial for a prisoner s rights case in the Eastern District of New York on behalf of pro bono client, Mr. H. Mr. H brought his claims after corrections officers at Suffolk County Correctional Facility had assaulted him. The jury found that excessive force was used against Mr. H in violation of his Eighth Amendment rights, and that Suffolk County employees confined him to suicide watch as punishment in violation of his Fourteenth Amendment due process rights. The jury also found that Suffolk County had violated prisoners rights by its official practices, inadequate training, and inadequate supervision, and awarded our client $25,000 in compensatory damages. The jury also awarded Mr. H punitive damages on his excessive force claim. In 2015, Cleary represented the Fund for Public Schools ( FPS ) with respect to structuring and negotiating the Computer Science for All Initiative, a new public-private partnership that was announced by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in September 2015 and ensures that, by 2025, all New York City public school students will receive computer science education. The $81 million plan brings together the City of New York, the Department of Education and other non-profit and private contributors. 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. (please round to the nearest hour) 2014: 51,151 2015: 63,065 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s US office(s)? 2014: 697 2015: 689 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? (please round to the nearest hour) 2014: 73 2015: 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: 53% 2015: 59% 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? N/A Salary and bonuses are determined by seniority Are those evaluations taken into account in determining advancement within the firm? 80 2016 Vault.com Inc.
Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? No Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? N/A Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? N/A PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? Cleary lawyers can participate in legal service trainings organized by public interest law groups to learn about areas of pro bono law that interest them. In addition, the firm creates and presents in-house trainings throughout the year on a variety of issues pertinent to our lawyers pro bono work. 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 2015. 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: 3,564 2015: 5,541 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work 2014: 37 2015: 46 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work 2014: 83% 2015: 91% Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates. Summer associates can participate in any firm pro bono matter during their summer. The pro bono matters are assigned to summer associates based upon their expressions of interest. The Director of Pro Bono Practice and the Pro Bono Coordinator work closely with the Summer Associate Committee to ensure that the summer associates get the most out of their pro bono work. 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. In 1969, Cleary established its first formal externship with MFY Legal Services, Inc., a legal services office in Manhattan that devotes much of its resources to landlord-tenant matters, often in New York City Housing Court. Since 1989, the firm has also worked with the Lawyers Alliance for New York ( LANY ), a public interest law group that assists not-for-profit community organizations in New York City. The externship program at LANY provides associates with corporate, real estate, tax and/ or other transactional law experience related to public interest work. Both externships work in the same fashion: an associate is selected to work on a full-time basis exclusively at either the offices of MFY or LANY for a four-month period, but continues to receive his or her full salary and benefits from the firm. In essence, during the course of a year, three different associates provide an additional full-time staff lawyer position for each of MFY and LANY. Cleary also regularly selects an associate to participate exclusively in the New York City Law Department s Deposition Program for two weeks at a time, while continuing to receive his or her full salary and benefits from the firm. These associates are afforded the opportunity to gain significant deposition experience while assisting the New York City Law Department on a variety of civil cases. 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. Cleary sponsors the Melvin C. Steen Fellowships at the Legal Aid Society and holds an annual associate-driven fundraising drive for the Legal Aid Society. The firm also participates in the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice s African Legal Fellows Program, which places South African lawyers from historically disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa with corporate law firms. In addition, our Harvard alumni sponsor an annual fellowship at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic. 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. In 1991, Cleary initiated a partnership with Washington Irving High School (WIHS), a New York City public school, in order to assist in the major challenge of revitalizing the perceived failure of the NYC public school system. The Partnership Visit www.vault.com 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. 81
allows all employees in the New York office to participate in community service in an area where there is dramatic need. Major partnership programs include one-on-one mentoring, college advising, SAT preparation courses, and sponsoring annual events that promote the various academic and cultural talents of the students. The firm employs a full time employee to coordinate our partnership with WIHS. In 2012, our Washington D.C. office established a similar school partnership program with McKinley Technology Education Campus in Northeast D.C. Cleary employees volunteer to help the students gain confidence, communication skills, professional experience, and better access to college through different programs such as Model UN, Debate Team, poetry slams and college preparatory workshops. Please list special recognition or awards your firm has won in the last three years for its pro bono work.. Among the awards Cleary has won in the last three years are: Pro Bono Publico Award, 2016, American Bar Association Pro Bono Firm of the Year, 2016 & 2015, Law360 Pro Bono Hot List, 2016, The National Law Journal Wig and Pen Prize, 2016, City of London Law Society Best International Firm for Pro Bono Work, 2016 & 2014, America s Women in Business Law Awards Celebration of International Pro Bono Excellence Honoree, 2016, Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice Honored by Pro Bono Client, 2016, Brooklyn Youth Chorus Abely Pro Bono Leadership Award, 2015, Sanctuary for Families Above & Beyond Award, 2015 & 2014, Sanctuary for Families CAP Leadership Award, 2015, LatinoJustice Epstein Award for Pro Bono Service, 2015, City Bar Justice Center Pro Bono Publico Award, 2015, The Legal Aid Society Pro Bono Leadership Award, 2015 & 2014, Legal Services NYC Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic Program Pro Bono Award, 2014, Harvard Law School Outstanding Achievement for School Partnership Program, 2014, Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs 82 2016 Vault.com Inc.