For more than twenty-three years, the name Laura Klein has been synonymous with government pro bono.  No one has had a greater or more sustained impact on the ability of federal attorneys to provide volunteer legal services.  Throughout her long career, Laura has exemplified the ideal of serving “for the public good.”

Federal lawyers have long been encouraged to engage in pro bono service, but it was Laura’s leadership and vision that transformed that encouragement into a thriving, structured movement. After President Clinton’s 1996 Executive Order urging federal employee volunteerism, the Department of Justice created a Pro Bono Manager position. When Laura took on that role in 2002, she built a program that expanded well beyond DOJ, coordinating pro bono work across more than 60 agencies and launching local initiatives in nine cities nationwide.

Under Laura’s guidance, the federal government’s pro bono program grew into a model of public service, engaging hundreds of volunteers each year who collectively donated thousands of hours of free legal help to people in need. For example, in addition to representing clients in landlord/tenant and family law cases in Superior Court, federal lawyers staffed clinics such as the DC Bar Advice & Referral Clinic, the Legal Counsel for the Elderly Schedule H Tax Credit Clinic, and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Government attorneys also volunteered individually with organizations including Bread for the City, Children’s Law Center, Legal Aid DC, and Volunteer Legal Advocates. Altogether, well over 500 government lawyers volunteered their time to serve the DC community each year. This is especially remarkable given that federal government lawyers, for the most part, volunteer on their own time and generally cannot use office resources to provide pro bono services.

Laura’s success required persistence, creativity, and diplomacy. Federal attorneys face a complex web of ethics rules, statutory limitations, and regulatory hurdles when engaging in outside legal work. Laura became the trusted expert on government pro bono, guiding agencies through complex rules, building consensus, and helping make government lawyer pro bono participation possible. When lawyers wondered, “Can I really volunteer?” Laura would answer – whenever possible – “Yes, here’s how.” As the acknowledged linchpin of the federal pro bono program, she provided encouragement and support to the individual agency pro bono managers, sharing pro bono policies, organizing pro bono fairs, and coordinating substantive training sessions. Laura was always willing to come to any federal agency with her “Pro Bono 101” roadshow – and her homemade brownies. Laura’s expertise, leadership, and tireless efforts were essential to building an impactful government pro bono program and inspiring countless attorneys along the way. 

Although personally incredibly humble, Laura recognized the importance of celebrating government leaders and lifting up those who serve. She established Federal Government Pro Bono Week, the John C. Cruden Federal Agency Pro Bono Leadership Award, and was a strong supporter and nominator of Washington Council of Lawyers’ Government Pro Bono Award. Laura’s own outstanding leadership was recognized when the Federal Government pro bono program received the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award in 2009 and Neighborhood Legal Services Program of DC’s Community Partner in Justice Award in 2018, and when Laura received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award in  2020 and 2024.

Laura is a joy to know and a cherished colleague. Her professionalism, expertise, sense of humor, and kindness not only made her an effective leader but also a beloved one. Over the years, Laura developed deep and lasting friendships across the legal community, serving as a mentor, ally, and confidante to countless attorneys inspired by her example.

Now serving as Senior Manager of Pro Bono Initiatives at Lawyers for Good Government, Laura continues to mobilize lawyers nationwide to defend democracy, protect civil and human rights, and advance environmental justice. And, in her “free time,” you can find Laura doing what else? Pro bono. She is a longtime volunteer with the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center and Maryland Legal Aid, where she provides legal information and direct assistance to people in need. 

Laura first received the Government Pro Bono Award from the Washington Council of Lawyers in 2004. It is fitting that at the conclusion of her distinguished federal career, she receives our 2025 Presidents’ Award, honoring her exceptional leadership, profound impact, and the generous spirit that has inspired—and continues to inspire—so many in the pursuit of justice.