PRO BONO AT
JENNER & BLOCK
At Jenner & Block, our commitment to public service is a vital part of who we are as lawyers and as people. In the 1950s, Partners Tom Sullivan, Prentice Marshall, and Jerry Solovy, all active members of the Chicago Bar Association’s Defense of Prisoners Committee, began recruiting other Jenner & Block lawyers to join them in representing indigent criminal defendants, launching the firm’s pro bono program. Albert Jenner, Jr., and Samuel Block, for whom the firm is named, were widely recognized for their contributions to public service, and today Jenner & Block is synonymous with pro bono advocacy.
How We Serve Our Pro Bono Clients
The firm offers pro bono litigation and transactional assistance to thousands of individuals and organizations. From criminal to civil matters, from battles for human rights and civil liberties to death penalty challenges, Jenner & Block lawyers provide legal assistance to those whose voices may not otherwise be heard in the legal system.
We are committed to providing our pro bono clients with the same level of professionalism, dedication, and service that we provide our corporate clients.
How Our Lawyers Get Involved
We encourage all our lawyers to complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work a year, but we do not limit how much they can do.
From their first day at the firm, we encourage junior lawyers to identify pro bono work that interests them and to do it under the guidance of a partner they choose.
OUR PRO BONO COMMITTEE
Our pro bono program is managed by a dedicated group of lawyers who volunteer their time and experience to this important effort. Jenner & Block’s Pro Bono Committee includes members of the firm from across all offices, practice groups, associates, partners and of counsel and is co-chaired by five partners who oversee the firm’s comprehensive program.
Partner, Debbie Berman
Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee
Chicago
Partner, Christian Tuddenham
Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee
London
Partner, Todd Toral
Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee
Los Angeles
Partner, Michael Ross
Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee
New York
Partner, Matt Price
Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee
Washington, DC
Nura Maznavi
Pro Bono Counsel
Los Angeles
Angelina Smith
Pro Bono and
Work Equity Lawyer
Chicago
David Jiménez-Ekman - Why Pro Bono Matters
Katie McLaughlin - Making Pro Bono Count
21 years and thriving
Twenty one years ago, the firm published the first The Heart of the Matter pro bono report. In eight pages, with articles and images, The Heart of the Matter of 2001 celebrated the firm’s pro bono and community service. Stories featured, among others, a Ukrainian woman’s successful bid for asylum and the firm’s victory in a landmark decision on wilderness protection. Through the years, The Heart of the Matter has changed in format and delivery. But the message remains the same: “Our commitment to public service dates back to the very beginnings of the firm in 1914,” reads the first The Heart of the Matter, “and continues to thrive today.”