|
Pro Bono
We believe that lawyers have an obligation to provide high quality legal services to those who do not have access to them. The firm is deeply supportive of the efforts of individual lawyers on behalf of the underserved; many of us have never spent a day at the firm without an active pro bono matter. Some of us have focused on pro bono matters almost exclusively for a period of time – for example, when involved in a death penalty trial, when forming a nonprofit corporation, when structuring debt-for-nature swaps in developing countries, or when working on an appellate brief and argument. If you are interested, you will have the opportunity to participate in the firm’s pro bono work.
We have two full-time professional staff members who coordinate and facilitate our pro bono work. They help lawyers find projects that best align with their interests. Individual lawyers, including many associates, often bring worthy projects to the attention of the firm.
Although we undertake high-profile cases, much of our pro bono work serves the poor. For example, in 2002, Covington's New York office initiated a pro bono collaboration with The Bronx Defenders, a nationally recognized non-profit devoted to representing indigent criminal defendants. Since then, our New York associates have provided representation to a number of individuals and helped win a complete acquittal for a defendant facing a potential life sentence. On the civil side, attorneys in the New York office have recently provided corporate advice to charitable organizations, handled landlord/tenant disputes, represented asylum seekers, and filed amicus briefs in a number of important matters.
The firm’s abiding commitment to pro bono work has consistently ranked us among the leaders in the nation and has earned us many awards over the years from individual clients, legal services organizations, and the legal profession. In its most recent annual pro bono survey, The American Lawyer ranked Covington first among US law firms. In fact, Covington has been ranked number one nine out of the last 17 years by The American Lawyer. Covington has received the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award, the ABA Litigation Section’s John Minor Wisdom Award, the DC Bar’s Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year Award, and a special award from the DC Bar for 20 Years of Outstanding Pro Bono Service.
Recent awards include:
- National Legal Aid & Defender Association gave its "Beacon of Justice" award to Covington for its work with Guantanamo detainees.
- The Mississippi Center for Justice presented an award to Covington for "Advancing & Ensuring Fairness in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."
- The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project honored Covington for its outstanding contribution to ensure justice for men and women on death row. In the past year, Covington attorneys have had three death sentences overturned.
Our pro bono work immerses our lawyers in many controversial, interesting, and important public policy issues, and it reflects the fact that we are a firm of diverse viewpoints. We believe that all views, even of the most controversial issues, are entitled to high quality legal representation.
Please click here to view an electronic copy of the firm’s annual Public Service and Pro Bono Report, which summarizes all of its active pro bono projects.
|
|