Commitment
Commitment to the community is an important part of our culture at Cooley LLP and a fundamental component of our vision and values. We strive to give generously of our time, talents and resources to the communities in which we practice, and pro bono work is one of the primary ways we fulfill that goal.
We give pro bono matters the same staffing, attention and resources as billable matters. We also assign pro bono matters the same weight and credit as billable matters when evaluating each attorney's contributions to the Firm.
We encourage attorneys from all Cooley offices, all practice groups and all levels of experience to be actively involved in our pro bono practice. In 2012, 466 Cooley attorneys contributed over 33,000 hours on 687 pro bono matters.
Our breadth of expertise enables us to take on a wide variety of pro bono matters, including impact litigation, individual cases, and transactional matters. Cooley attorneys regularly handle asylum, guardianship and domestic violence cases, and actively represent a broad array of foundations and nonprofit organizations. Click here to view a list of the many organizations we partner with on pro bono projects.
Powerful Praise
Our pro bono efforts have received recognition from many sources:
- The Recorder recognized Cooley's Pro Bono practice as one of the ten leading Northern California pro bono practices. The firms selected this year "demonstrated a commitment to pro bono clients or causes through determined and creative advocacy." (2012)
- BayLegal honored Cooley with its "2010 Pro Bono Leadership – Innovative Partner Award" in recognition of the firm's long-term partnership with BayLegal to provide meaningful access to the civil justice system. (2011)
- Cooley's New York office was selected as the recipient of the Legal Aid Society of New York "Law Firm of the Year Award." (2010)
- Cooley's San Diego office received the "Outstanding Service" award (2010 and 2011) and "Law Firm of the Year" by the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program.
- Alan Levine, a partner in Cooley's New York office and member of the firm's Management Committee, was honored with The Legal Aid Society's Servant of Justice Award for his outstanding contributions to the organization and his dedication to the quest for equal justice. (2011)
- The Yosemite Conservancy named Cooley the top "Corporate Protector" to recognize the firm's support over many years. (2010)
- Santa Clara County Public Defenders presented Cooley's Palo Alto office with its "Friend of the Public Defender Award." (2010)
- Lawyers' Committee of the San Francisco Bay Area presented the "James T. Caleshu" Award to partner Brett White. (2010)
- Disability Rights CA presented Cooley's Palo Alto office with its "Pro Bono Achievement Award." (2010)
- Cooley's Palo Alto office received the State Bar of California's 2009 "President's Pro Bono Service Award." (2009)
Click here for an archive of our pro bono accolades.