Law360 Names Covington a Top ‘Pro Bono Firm of 2012’
August 23, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, August 23, 2012 — Law360 named Covington & Burling on its “Pro Bono Firms of 2012” list in recognition of the firm’s success in securing high-profile victories and devoting more than 133 pro bono hours per lawyer.
Law360 highlighted Covington’s wins in pro bono cases over the past year, noting that the firm succeeded in getting two wrongly convicted men off death row (Larry Smith and Cory Maye), helping Chinese-Americans secure an apology from the House and Senate for historic injustices and launching two major civil rights cases over the constitutionality of police stops in New York and Arizona.
“For of those to whom much is given, much is required,” said Alan Pemberton, chair of the firm’s pro bono committee in an interview with Law360. “We are privileged. We get so much out of being members of this profession, but we also have an obligation to give back to the community and do what we can for those who are not able to afford legal services,”
The article noted that Covington's U.S.-based legal professionals racked up nearly 87,488 hours of pro bono work, or about 133 hours per lawyer. That is more than double the American Bar Associations’ recommended 50 hours per lawyer per year. All of the winning firms on Law360’s 2012 list committed more than 70 pro bono hours per attorney in the past year and overall averaged about 104 hours per attorney.
Since its founding in 1919, Covington has had a strong commitment to public service. The firm encourages all of its lawyers to participate in pro bono work, and devotes significant resources to finding pro bono projects that reflect the diverse interests of its attorneys. The American Lawyer magazine has ranked Covington’s pro bono practice among the top three firms for 17 of the past 21 years.
To read the complete profile, please click here.
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