Paul Hastings was ranked in the Top 35 of The American Lawyer's Top Law Firms for Pro Bono.

Paul Hastings invests in the communities in which we live and work through pro bono service, volunteerism, and charitable giving. Our commitment is considerable: in 2009, our U.S.-based lawyers dedicated an average of 127 hours of pro bono work, totaling 90,000 hours of pro bono and community service for the year. In total, Paul Hastings donated over $55 million in monetary gifts and in-kind contributions in 2009, positively affecting a wide range of social causes including education, healthcare, and the environment.

We are proud of our tradition of public service and of the quality of our diverse pro bono practice.

Recent examples of the firm's pro bono efforts

Poverty: The firm has partnered with Acumen Fund to address the devastating problem of global poverty. Acumen Fund delivers affordable, critical goods and services to poverty-stricken areas throughout the world. Through Acumen Fund, Paul Hastings team members have worked with small farmers in Pakistan, assisted with projects in India and Africa, and provided countless hours of legal advice to various Acumen Fund projects.

Immigration: Our lawyers have helped hundreds of people find sanctuary and peace of mind through substantial efforts on a variety of immigration matters. In 2008, immigration cases accounted for nearly 11 percent of our total pro bono hours, with over 7,400 hours dedicated to immigration and asylum cases, customs disputes, and visa applications. Examples of our work in this area include:

• securing asylum for a woman who was persecuted in Kenya
• aiding a woman who was the victim of a sex-trafficking ring in Venezuela
• representing a Somali citizen before the San Diego Court of Immigration
• obtaining asylum for an imprisoned university professor and his family who were tortured by rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• preventing the deportation of a family of Vietnamese boat people who sought refuge in the U.S.
• dedicating over 1,500 pro bono hours to KIND, a non-profit organization that assists unaccompanied immigrant children

Healthcare: The Chairman of Paul Hastings has shown his commitment to improving the overall health of our world through his involvement on the Board of Directors for Doc to Dock Inc., a non-profit organization that engages physicians, nurses, and other healthcare volunteers to collect, sort, ship, and distribute unused medical supplies to the needy.

Small Businesses: A Paul Hastings partner is an advisory board member of ACCION USA, a private, non-profit organization that provides microloans and other financial services to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs who are unable to secure bank credit for their small businesses.

Civil Liberties: The lawyers of Paul Hastings co-filed a lawsuit, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and other legal organizations, against the Bureau of Immigrant and Customs Enforcement in California for the denial of humane detention conditions and due process to immigrant detainees.

Education: Paul Hastings has established the Visiting Professorship in Corporate and Financial Law at the University of Hong Kong. The firm also endows several scholarships worldwide, and helped build a new elementary school, the Paul Hastings Hope School, in the Jiangxi province of China.

Pro Bono Recognitions

Recent examples of our firm's top accolades for outstanding commitment to pro bono work include:

• Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year (Public Counsel)
• Cornerstone Award (Lawyers Alliance for New York) for our substantial pro bono growth and commitment
• Law Firm Volunteer of the Year Award (Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta)
• Law Firm of the Year Award (Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta)
• Ribbon of Dreams Award (The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation)
• Bronze Partnership Award (United Way) in recognition of our volunteer fundraising campaign

Pro Bono Contact

Barbara Johnson, Chair
Pro Bono Committee
Email

Jeffrey Varga, Vice-Chair
Pro Bono Committee
Email

Jamie Broder
Pro Bono Partner
Email

Tollie Besson
Pro Bono Senior Counsel
Email

Publications

January 2010
Pro Bono News - Fall 2009/Winter 2010

September 2009
2008 Pro Bono & Community Annual Report

May 2009
Pro Bono News - Spring 2009

February 2009
Pro Bono News - Winter 08/09

November 2008
Pro Bono News - Fall 2008

July 2008
Pro Bono and Community Annual Report 2007