Law360 Names Covington a Top “Pro Bono Firm of 2013”

Law360 Names Covington a Top “Pro Bono Firm of 2013”

9/4/2013

WASHINGTON, DC, September 4, 2013 — Law360 named Covington & Burling to its list of “Pro Bono Firms of 2013,” recognizing the firm’s success in securing high-profile victories and devoting more than 117 pro bono hours per lawyer.

Law360 highlighted Covington’s wins in pro bono cases over the past year, noting the firm’s fight against government-sanctioned discrimination. Covington attorneys convinced an Arizona federal judge to order Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to stop his practice of racially profiling Latinos. The firm also convinced a New York federal judge to order changes to the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk policies after finding the policies violated the constitutional rights of blacks and Hispanics.

“We live in a very privileged position by virtue of our professional training and because of that privilege we owe something back to that society to make it a better place,” said Alan Pemberton, chair of the firm’s pro bono committee, in an interview with Law360. “We don't impose any particular political slant on what any individual lawyer considers the public good to be.”

The article noted that Covington's U.S.-based legal professionals racked up nearly 81,386 hours of pro bono work, or about 117 hours per lawyer — more than double the American Bar Association’s recommended 50 hours per lawyer per year. The winning firms on Law360’s 2013 list committed an overall average of 98.7 pro bono hours 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.

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