Pro Bono & Community Service
Commitment to pro bono legal representation has always been a fundamental element of Brown Rudnick’s identity. In collaboration with legal service and community organizations, we devote pro bono representation where it is needed most. Whether we are representing an individual, supporting small businesses and non-profits, or addressing systemic issues, we strive to make a positive impact in our communities and around the globe.
Our hope is that a vital pro bono program will also significantly contribute to the culture of our workplace, providing avenues for individual professional growth and self-fulfillment that can add significantly to a fulfilling, meaningful and long-term career.
OUR WORK AT A GLANCE
Brown Rudnick provides pro bono support in a variety of areas across all of our offices.
Our work includes:
- Advising non-profits and small businesses on corporate and employment needs
- Researching law around the U.S. that disproportionately impact women and people of color
- Representing artists to obtain denied payment for their work
- Completing name change petitions for transgender and nonbinary individuals
- Assisting lawful permanent residents to complete their citizenship applications
- Defending low-income tenants in eviction cases
- Completing and filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions, enabling individuals a fresh financial start
- Researching claims of innocence in criminal cases
- Writing amicus briefs aimed at increasing equity in education
Our pro bono work is led by Pro Bono Chair Andrew Strehle and Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Pro Bono Counsel Meredith Joseph. This team identifies pro bono matters and encourages all lawyers and business professionals to contribute to the firm’s pro bono practice.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Additional Recognitions
Michael Reining featured in Kids in Need of Defense’s (KIND) monthly Pro Bono Attorney Spotlight for his work with a young man seeking safety in the United States.
Read MoreBrown Rudnick featured in the New England Innocence Project’s (NEIP) Pro Bono Partner Spotlight series for its dedication to freeing wrongfully convicted people.
Read MoreBrown Rudnick’s pro bono program recognized among the top 10 programs for law firms of its size in Law 360’s 2022 pro bono rankings.
Read MoreBrown Rudnick ranked a top-25 firm in The American Lawyer’s 2022 “Pro Bono Scorecard” for both national and international public service work.
Read MoreEight Brown Rudnick lawyers have been recognized in the 2023 Pro Bono Honor Roll of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts for their representation of low-income individuals on Chapter 7 applications.
Read MoreTwenty-two Brown Rudnick lawyers recognized on the 2023 Pro Bono Honor Roll. Brown Rudnick also recognized an organizational Supreme Judicial Court exceptional pro bono service award.
Read MoreThree Brown Rudnick lawyers were named to the Community Legal Aid 2023 Pro Bono Honor Roll for their pro bono support of individuals looking for a fresh financial start.
Read MoreShlomo Katz and Maura Regan receive the Firm’s annual M. Robert Dushman Pro Bono and Community Service Awards for their dedication to their pro bono clients and communities.
Read MoreNineteen Brown Rudnick lawyers named to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 2022 Pro Bono Honor Roll and High Honor Roll.
Read MoreFive Brown Rudnick lawyers are listed on the 2022 Pro Bono Honor Roll of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts for legal representation of individuals seeking bankruptcy.
Read MoreThree Brown Rudnick lawyers were named to the District of Columbia 2022 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll for their devotion to representing individuals, non-profits, and small businesses.
Read MoreEight Brown Rudnick lawyers named to the District of Columbia 2021 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll for providing extensive pro bono help to the D.C. community.
Read MoreRebecca MacDowell Lecaroz and Carlene Mercier received the Firm’s annual M. Robert Dushman Pro Bono and Community Service Awards for their passionate support of individuals and communities in need.
Read MoreThe Brown Rudnick Civil Rights Summer Fellowship at Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) provides an opportunity for law students to promote equality and fight discrimination. Fellows will spend their summer working at LCR on civil rights issues. The fellowship was created in 2022 following Brown Rudnick’s successful representation, with LCR, of a coalition of Hispanic and Black residents in a federal voting rights lawsuit challenging the method used in Worcester, Massachusetts for electing its school committee.
Any law students interested in applying for this fellowship can visit Lawyers for Civil Rights’ Fellowship page to learn more.
Brown Rudnick is committed to giving back to the communities where we work and live. Our lawyers and business professionals are passionate community leaders. Many volunteer their time with numerous non-profit organizations and provide support for those in need. We a host a range of service projects across offices.
HOW WE GIVE BACK
Civics Day
New York lawyers, business professionals, and summer associates volunteer at Civics Day with Generation Citizens, a Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation grantee. Civics Day is like a science fair, but for civics — where middle and high school students present their Action Civics projects to volunteer Community Advisors. Community Advisors listen to the presentations, ask questions, and provide feedback.
Community Servings
Community Servings is an impactful non-profit dedicated to providing nutritious, freshly made, meals to individuals battling chronic illness. In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, each January, members of our Boston office prepare and package meals for participating families.
London Legal Walk
We are steadfast in our commitment to advocating for access to justice for all. In London, we have supported the South West London Law Centre for over ten years. Each summer, we assemble a Brown Rudnick team to participate in the London Legal Walk to raise funds for f free civil aid services for individuals in need.
Cathleen Stone Island
Each year Cathleen Stone Island Outward Bound Education Center provides thousands of children from under-served communities with access to nature. Providing environmental education to Boston Public School students in the classroom and on the island. Our lawyers, business professionals, and summer associates volunteer for a day of service helping to clean-up the outdoor classrooms so the island is safe and accessible for students arriving for summer programs. Cathleen Stone Island’s mission aligns with the Firm’s commitment to supporting social justice, youth education, and sustainability efforts.
Free Arts
Confronting the challenges of homelessness is a focus of our community engagement. Each December, we create pop-up cards for youth with Free Arts NYC. Free Arts NYC provides arts education and programming for NYC youth in homeless shelters.
Back-to-School Drives
The start of a new school year is an exciting time. Our annual back-to-school drive aims to help students feel prepared and excited to kick off a new school year. We collaborate with local non-profit organizations to provide supplies to youth who are in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or recent immigrants to the U.S.
Holiday Gift Drives
Supporting local organizations during the holiday season is a longstanding tradition at Brown Rudnick. Employees donate gifts and coats to youth in foster care, children hospitalized over the holidays with serious illness, and families living in domestic violence shelters.
9/11 Day of Remembrance
September 11th is a profound day in our nation’s history. As a remembrance and a small gesture of our appreciation, every year since 2002, Brown Rudnick has provided lunch to local firefighters in cities where we have offices. This is an opportunity for us to express our thanks and reflect. We remain committed to reaching out to say “we remember” and “thank you.”
PUBLIC INTEREST NEWS
Total number of results: 17
Associate Alvin Benjamin Carter III to Receive 2023 Cornerstone Award From Lawyers Alliance For New York 10/26/2023 |
Three Brown Rudnick Lawyers Named to Community Legal Aid’s 2023 Pro Bono Honor Roll 10/10/2023 |
Brown Rudnick Again Ranked Among Top 10 of Peer Firms on Law360’s Pro Bono List 09/29/2023 |
Three Brown Rudnick Lawyers Named to 2022 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll 07/27/2023 |
Associates Alvin Carter and Kyle Dorso Awarded for Pro Bono Work With LCR Boston 06/23/2023 |