Law schools across the United States are finishing up early interview weeks, often influenced by precruiting trends, and many students are contemplating various aspects of their future legal careers. One critical factor for many is the commitment a firm has to pro bono work. Over the past year, legal professionals responded to numerous crises, providing crucial services ranging from immigration and asylum assistance to racial justice initiatives and the protection of reproductive rights in the post-Dobbs era.
The American Lawyer has ranked Am Law 200 firms based on their pro bono contributions in 2023. This ranking considers both the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who performed over 20 hours of pro bono work. As a result, the top 10 firms for pro bono work in 2023 are:
- Jenner & Block
- Covington & Burling
- WilmerHale
- Patterson Belknap
- Dechert
- Munger Tolles
- Arnold & Porter
- Orrick
- Morgan Lewis
- Debevoise
At these firms, the average attorney dedicated over 118.3 hours to pro bono work last year. Collectively, the Am Law 200 contributed nearly 5 million hours, a slight reduction from previous years. Nonetheless, experts in the pro bono field, like Debbie Berman of Jenner & Block, see substantial opportunities for meaningful pro bono work in the future, striving to improve these numbers.
For a closer look at these rankings and insights from leaders in the pro bono field, visit The American Lawyer’s 2024 Pro Bono Scorecard: National Report.