The National Law Journal Names Akin Gump to 2019 Pro Bono Hot List
(New York) – Akin Gump and litigation partner Joseph Sorkin have been named to The National Law Journal’s 2019 Pro Bono Hot List—a list that includes lawyers, as the publication notes, who “have used their legal expertise to take on some of the biggest issues of our time.”
In NLJ’s profile, Akin Gump pro bono partner Steven Schulman spoke first about the firm’s philosophy of pro bono service, which he said focuses on “leveraging the expertise, experience and passions of all members of the Akin Gump team to maximize access to justice, community development and the rule of law.”
Mr. Sorkin highlighted the firm’s work in a case involving the extrajudicial killings by the Bolivian military under the command of the president and defense minister in 2003. The case was litigated over the course of 11 years on behalf of eight Bolivian families whose relatives were killed.
In 2018, a jury trial was held in federal court in Florida that Mr. Sorkin said was “the first time a former head of state had been held to account in the U.S. for human rights abuses.” To him, the most satisfying aspect of the case was seeing the tears of joy and relief among the plaintiffs when the jury returned the verdict “that the former president and defense minister were responsible for the killings.”
As for why pro bono work matters to him as a lawyer, Mr. Sorkin stated it is because of the personal engagement—and resulting connections—that he makes. They force him to think, he said, “about why and how I practice law and what I contribute to the community. As a result, I am able to make a positive impact, while simultaneously bettering myself as a citizen and attorney.”
This is the second time in the past three years that Akin Gump has been named to the NLJ Pro Bono Hot List. (Click here to read about its 2017 recognition.) In addition, the firm has been recognized this year for its pro bono efforts locally in Houston and Washington, D.C.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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