From the founding of our firm in 1945 by Richard Gump and Robert Strauss, we have had a strong commitment to public service. Akin Gump has grown since then, and we have extended this founding spirit of public service to all our offices and all our practice areas through a commitment to providing pro bono legal services for those in our communities most in need and least able to pay. In the past several years, we have reinvigorated this commitment; since 2006, our pro bono hours have increased by more than 120%, and the average Akin Gump lawyer now spends more than 80 hours per year on pro bono client service.
Our commitment to the pro bono practice is unequivocal. We treat pro bono client hours the same as all other client hours for all purposes. All levels of firm management champion the firm’s policy of strongly encouraging lawyers to participate in our pro bono practice as part of their ongoing caseloads. Thus, pro bono work is regarded as a routine, not exceptional, part of an Akin Gump lawyer’s experience. We recognize that less-experienced associates, in particular, obtain valuable experience on pro bono matters by serving those who are unable to pay.
All across the firm, from New York to San Francisco to Beijing, our lawyers are defending human rights by representing asylum seekers, victims of trafficking, and non-governmental human rights organizations. The list goes on, and includes significant public interest litigation and other matters, both large and small, in every Akin Gump office. These pro bono matters have been rewarding for both our lawyers and our clients, and the firm has received substantial recognition for its work over the years.
In 2008, Akin Gump’s Washington office welcomed its inaugural group of law students to the Summer Pro Bono Scholars Program, our new two-year summer program for top students who show a strong interest in making pro bono an integral part of their Akin Gump careers. For more information on the Summer Pro Bono Scholars Program, go to
http://www.akingump.com/files/upload/probono_scholars.pdf.
Akin Gump is a charter signatory to the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, committing us to devote at least 60 pro bono hours per lawyer per year; in 2007, we exceeded this commitment by more than 10% and are on pace to exceed it by more than 40% in 2008. We also recognize that pro bono service is a matter of personal choice, and we are proud that the firm’s lawyers have consistently demonstrated that they share our institutional commitment.