The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving. Albert Einstein At Sullivan & Cromwell, we have a long tradition of encouraging pro bono involvement by our lawyers and staff by providing the support and resources necessary to offer quality advice and counsel to individuals and organizations in need of legal representation and to engage with the community through public service activities. Our pro bono involvement spans individual initiatives and signature projects that address such critical social issues as asylum, domestic violence, housing, civil rights, and formative and governance issues for non-profits, all of which utilize the expertise of our lawyers across our global practice. We are honored to be able to serve our profession and the community by helping those who otherwise might go unserved. www.sullcrom.com new york. washington, d. c.. los angeles. palo alto london. paris. frankfurt tokyo. hong kong. beijing. melbourne. sydney
Main US office location: 125 Broad Street New York, NY 10004 www.sullcrom.com (212) 558-4000 THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 835 No. of Offices: 12 Chairman: Joseph C. Shenker 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. Jessica M. Klein Special Counsel and Head of Pro Bono Practice (212) 558-3153 kleinj@sullcrom.com Approximate percentage of his/her time spent on pro bono work/administering pro bono program: 100% Pro Bono website (if different from main site): www.omm.com/pro-bono Does the firm have a pro bono committee? If so, how often does the committee meet? Monthly Please describe the composition of the committee: Our pro bono committee is comprised of 10 partners and includes representatives from our New York, London, D.C. and L.A. 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? Lawyers are encouraged to take on any matter of interest to them, subject to standard conflict clearance and approval in accordance with the firm s general procedures for approval of new matters. Has the firm signed on to the law firm pro bono challenge? No What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has performed pro bono legal work since 2014? Asylum; 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; International human rights; Juvenile justice reform; Nonprofit corporate law; Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions; Nonprofit intellectual property; Police misconduct; Prisoners rights; 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. Bankruptcy List up to 10 of your firm s pro bono clients or partners since 2014, including legal service providers or clearinghouses. The American Civil Liberties Union Her Justice 451
Human Rights First Immigration Equality Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Legal Services NYC New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Sanctuary for Families Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund Public Counsel List up to three pro bono matters/representations that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). For more than six years, in Franco-Gonzalez, et al. v. Holder, et al., S&C has litigated on behalf of a class of indigent immigration detainees in California, Arizona and Washington who suffer from serious mental health issues and are jailed for prolonged periods. In April 2013, the court entered partial summary judgment and an injunction requiring the federal government to provide legal representation for class members who are unable to represent themselves in immigration court. The New York Times hailed the ruling as the first time a court has required the government to provide legal assistance for any group of people before the nation s immigration courts. The government has announced that it intends to implement similar protections nationwide. In October 2014, the Court entered an order resolving plaintiffs claim for competency evaluations by requiring screenings of detainees for mental health issues and the provision of competency evaluations. These protections are the first of their kind in immigration proceedings. In March 2015, the court entered a monitoring order against the Department of Homeland Security the first-ever order of its kind to keep tabs on the government s compliance with the injunction and implementation plan. In September 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered an order approving a settlement agreement providing additional relief to a separate class of individuals who had previously been ordered removed in violation of the Rehabilitation Act. Lawyers from S&C s London office were instrumental in the development of a new international aid organization, the Global Innovation Fund (GIF). GIF is a new fund, headquartered in London, that invests in social innovations that aim to improve the lives and opportunities of millions of people. S&C and the ACLU represent three same-sex couples in Nebraska challenging (i) an administrative policy that categorically prohibits them, on the basis of their sexual orientation, from serving as foster and adoptive parents to children in state custody, and (ii) the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) informal practice of making exceptions to that policy but requiring additional levels of approval for placements with gay and lesbian applicants than for placements with similarly situated heterosexual applicants. In August 2015, the Nebraska court granted summary judgment in plaintiffs favor, holding that HHS s policy and practice are unconstitutional. The court directed defendants to rescind the policy and ordered that HHS follow the same review procedures to evaluate such applicants as it uses for similarly situated heterosexual applicants. Defendants have appealed. 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: 43,461 2015: 42,776 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s US office(s)? As of December 31, 2014: 675 As of December 31, 2015: 678 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: 64 2015: 63 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: 46% 2015: 43% 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 Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? If so, what is the requirement and to whom does it apply? Partners are expected to perform 20 hours of pro bono or public service work each year. 452 2016 Vault.com Inc.
PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? Training opportunities are distributed to associates as they are referred to the firm by pro bono referral organizations, including Her Justice, Sanctuary for Families, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Lawyers Alliance for New York. In addition, the firm hosts in-house training sessions to support associates in particular pro bono practice areas, such as: New York Presbyterian Hospital AIDS Clinic, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Name Change Clinic, asylum representation and housing. 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: 5,350 2015: 3,971 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work: 2014: 41 2015: 35 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work: 2014: 73% 2015: 71% Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates. NYLPI Summer Associate Program (two-week externships at various legal services providers); The Courtroom Advocates Project (helping survivors of domestic violence file petitions for protective orders); Her Justice Summer Associate Program (representing survivors of domestic violence in uncontested divorces, child support cases and Violence Against Women Act self-petitions); Anti-Defamation League research projects; The Fortune Society s Summer Associate Volunteer Day Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its assosciates to work in a public interest setting? If so, please describe the established program(s) and their duration, if applicable. We currently have an associate working with the Federal Defenders of New York for six months. 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. In partnership with AIG, S&C sponsors an Equal Justice Works fellow. Additionally, S&C lawyers participated in providing legal and non-legal information for an Internet web site, funded by a grant from Johns Hopkins University and the City of New York, designed to assist people who have been diagnosed with a life-challenging condition (e.g., HIV/AIDS, cancer). The firm supports pro bono and public service related organizations through donations and support of their gala events. 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. Employees at the firm participate in the Everybody Wins! reading program, assisting local public school children on a weekly basis. The firm also participates in Her Justice s annual Story by Story event, where S&C lawyers climbed 43 stories in a midtown skyscraper to help raise funds for Her Justice, which provides free legal services for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Summer associates and lawyers at the firm have also participated in a 5 kilometer Fun Run for Legal Services NYC and in A.I.R. NYC s Bike2Breathe Fitness Fundraiser. S&C also participates in The Coalition for the Homeless Project: Back to School, a school supply drive to benefit children served by The Coalition. Please list special recognition or awards your firm has won in the last three years for its pro bono work. In October 2016, the firm received a Freedom Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. In March 2016, the firm received a Pro Bono Leadership Award from Legal Services NYC. In January 2016, the firm received the 2015 Empire State Counsel Platinum Supporter Award from the New York State Bar Association. In December 2015, the firm and one of our summer associates won the 2015 Anti-Defamation League s Summer Associate Research Program (SARP) Memo Competition. In September 2015, the firm was featured as one of Law360 s Pro Bono Firms of 2015. In July 2014, S&C was recognized for Global Pro Bono Dispute of the Year by The American Lawyer. 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. 453
In June 2014, S&C received the Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for Excellence in Litigation from the American Immigration Lawyers Association. In June 2014, the firm received the Beacon of Justice Award from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association. In May 2014, S&C received Immigration Equality s Safe Haven Award. In February 2014, Her Justice awarded an S&C team with its 2014 Commitment to Justice Award for Outstanding Legal Team. 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. S&C seeks out challenging and rewarding public service matters and creates numerous opportunities for all lawyers and summer associates to participate in public service activities. The firm actively encourages lawyers to participate in pro bono and other public service activities, and makes the firm s facilities and personnel fully available to assist in these efforts. In recognition of the varying interests of its lawyers, the firm recognizes public service work participation in such diverse activities as civil rights programs, bar association and related professional work, and other governmental, legal, educational and charitable endeavors. Lawyers in the firm s offices outside the United States also perform pro bono work. The firm engages with international organizations to make sure that pro bono matters are available to lawyers outside the United States. Lawyers at the firm work on a variety of international matters, including work with the Public International Law & Policy Group, TrustLaw and A4ID, researching various issues of international law. 454 2016 Vault.com Inc.