“Giving back to the communities where we live is a fundamental component of the firm’s culture.” This statement not only leads their annual pro bono report but leads the firm in all they do. In 2021 alone, Latham lawyers dedicated more than 175,000 hours of pro bono service. Their pro bono practice spans the full range of public-interest issues and is best categorized as life-changing. Underpinning each pro bono representation the firm undertakes is the deep desire to make a difference in their communities. Whether it’s preventing an eviction, getting a protection order, securing veterans benefits, or prevailing in an asylum case, Latham lawyers dedicate their time, talent, and resources to protecting the most vulnerable among us. Through its pro bono efforts, the firm is a leader in promoting equity, fairness, and justice.

We’re not the only ones who think so. The firm and individual Latham attorneys have been recently honored for excellence in pro bono locally by Ayuda and the National Veterans Legal Services Program,  and nationally by the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the Pro Bono Institute, OneJustice, and many others.

In addition, Latham supports fellowships for recent graduates as they embark on public-interest careers. The firm sponsored more than 30 Equal Justice Works Fellows at legal services organizations here in DC and across the country. These exceptional fellows are working on behalf of traditionally underserved populations in civil and human rights issues ranging from voting and education rights to heirs’ property inheritance and the criminalization of poverty. Latham is both supporting new advocates now and looking to the future of the provision of legal services.

Finally, we are also grateful for the firm’s support of Washington Council of Lawyers. In addition to its generous financial support, the firm has supported the participation of Public Service Counsel, Director of Global Pro Bono Wendy Atrokhov, who serves as a member of the Board of Directors.

We are grateful to Latham & Watkins for their partnership and are thrilled to honor them as our 2022 Law Firm Award recipient.