NEW YORK - (Business Wire) A special print and online report in the July issue of The American Lawyer provides a multi-level look at the state of pro bono legal work by the nation’s largest law firms. The magazine reports that pro bono hours have continued to grow despite the dismal economy, prompting many to wonder whether this type of legal work has indeed become recession-proof. In addition, The American Lawyer offers in-depth profiles of six notable pro bono cases, in areas ranging from foreclosures and ballot access to gay marriage. And, this year, the publication has introduced a new Web feature, the Am Law Pro Bono 100, providing a detailed look at the pro bono cases of the 100 firms with the largest commitment to this area. For these and other stories, visit www.americanlawyer.com/probono. In “Recession-Proof,” writer David Bario explores the reasons behind continued pro bono growth that reached record levels in 2008. While past recessions led firms to cut back on pro bono hours, experts now say that firms are more likely now to see pro bono work as a way to take up slack when billables are down. Combined with the institutionalization of pro bono programs at large firms and a younger generation of lawyers with an increased appetite for these types of challenges, pro bono may be in better shape than ever to prosper during the downturn.
In “Six Pro Bono Matters,” the magazine looks at projects tied to some of the top news stories of the day, ranging from the battle to obtain damages for the victims of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, to the role played by attorney Dennis Johnson in the fight for gay marriage rights in Iowa, to the participation of many Am Law 200 firms in programs protecting the right to vote in last year’s general election.
Finally, the new Am Law Pro Bono 100 Web project on www.americanlawyer.com takes an in-depth look at pro bono matters at the top-ranked firms, based on their average pro bono hours per lawyer and their percentage of lawyers who perform more than 20 hours of pro bono work.
The American Lawyer talked to each of the top 100 firms about one particular cause they worked on in 2008, and the resulting stories are now available online for every firm.
Follow The American Lawyer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AmLawDaily. To subscribe or request back copies of The American Lawyer, please call (800) 755-2773 or (212) 545-5990 outside the U.S. A digital edition of the magazine can also be purchased online. The American Lawyer is published in print and online by Incisive Media.
Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and information, in print, in person and online. The company's principal markets include financial services, legal services, commercial real estate, marketing services and risk management. Incisive Media's market-leading brands include Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Real Estate Forum, Risk, Search Engine Strategies and The American Lawyer. For more information, visit www.incisivemedia.com.
Accountancy Age, The American Lawyer, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Risk, Real Estate Forum and Search Engine Strategies are trademarks or registered trademarks of Incisive Media, LLC or affiliated entities.
Peters & Feldman for Incisive Media
Lee Feldman, 203-341-8922
lee.feldman@incisivemedia.com
