Akin Gump Welcomes Its 13th Class of Pro Bono Scholars

(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump is pleased to announce its 2020 class of Pro Bono Scholars, the 13th in the program’s history.

Each Pro Bono Scholar will be affiliated with one of Akin Gump’s participating offices—Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. The U.S.-based Pro Bono Scholars have been working with a public interest organization remotely since late May. Starting last week, along with their 2L summer associate colleagues, they began participating in our virtual summer program, dividing their time between the program and their continuing public interest work. This concurrent-work plan, necessitated by the pandemic, marks a change from practice in previous years.

Due to differences in the structure of the legal profession in the U.K., the London-based Pro Bono Scholars are current and future trainee solicitors who are selected based on their commitment to being leaders of the London office’s pro bono practice. Their focus is on developing pro bono initiatives, including strengthening existing relationships with public interest organizations and building new connections.

All of our Pro Bono Scholars have participated in a six-week remote “boot camp” throughout this summer in which they learned about the history of pro bono and the firm’s pro bono practice, heard presentations by Pro Bono Scholar alumni/ae, learned about law firm economics and received training in processing Violence Against Women Act immigration cases, among other programming

Akin Gump pro bono partner Steven Schulman said, “This class is joining Akin Gump this summer under conditions completely unlike any in our program’s history. But what makes it different—the global pandemic—is also what has greatly increased the overall need for pro bono service to those clients who need legal counsel the most but can afford it least. I’m proud to welcome these Scholars to Akin Gump and look forward to their having a fantastic summer in our program.”

The Pro Bono Scholars, their law schools and, for the US-based Scholars, their public interest organization/affiliation are:

Chris Barwick              USC Gould School of Law
                                         Public Counsel

Nik Soni                         The University of Texas Law School
                                         ABA Center for Human Rights

Emily Shapiro              University of Michigan Law School
                                         Her Justice

Taylor Leighton           NYU School of Law
                                         Brennan Center for Justice

Emmy Wydman          Duke University School of Law
                                         Center for Reproductive Rights

Aleena Ijaz                    The George Washington University Law
                                         School
                                         Fair & Just Prosecution

Benjamin Saul             University of Virginia School of Law
                                         KIPP

Will Smith                      University College London Faculty of Laws
                                         (trainee solicitor)

Jasmine Alexander   The University of Law
                                         (future trainee solicitor, starting 9/20)

Started in 2008, the Akin Gump Summer Pro Bono Scholars Program is a two-summer program for top law students who show a strong interest in making pro bono an integral part of their Akin Gump careers. The Pro Bono Scholars are rising second-year law students who work both at the firm and at a public interest organization during the summer. The next (rising third-year) summer, the Pro Bono Scholars are members of the firm’s regular summer associate program.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1945, the firm is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020. #AkinGump75