Pro Bono Spotlight: Vedder Price

Vedder Price is an international business-focused law firm serving sophisticated clients of all sizes and industries from offices across the U.S. and in the UK and Asia. Beyond the boardroom, the firm also has a deep-rooted commitment to pro bono service. Pro Bono Committee Co-Chairs, Michelle Olson and Patrick Spangler, recently discussed the firm’s pro bono culture and impact.

Fostering a Culture of Pro Bono Service

The firm seeks to foster a culture of pro bono service from “day one” by meeting with all new associates as part of their onboarding process to discuss the importance of pro bono work and how to get involved. All attorneys receive a Paladin account and are encouraged to seek out pro bono work that they are passionate about. The firm also offers 100 hours of billable credit annually for associates and paralegals (75 hours for shareholders) to complete pro bono work.

The firm regularly hosts pro bono fairs, receptions and events, and it sponsors a pro bono challenge each July, where all attorneys are encouraged to complete at least five hours of pro bono work during the month.

Measuring the Growth and Impact of Pro Bono

The firm publishes an annual Pro Bono Report that provides a comprehensive summary of the pro bono work completed that year. It is inspiring to read these reports year and see the progression of the pro bono program year over year. The firm also tracks the number of pro bono hours worked by its attorneys and the estimated value of pro bono services provided by the firm.

Over the past four years, the total number of pro bono hours billed at the firm has increased by over 40%. In 2023, for example, our attorneys donated more than 9,800 pro bono hours at an estimated value of over $6 million. Although the true impact of this work cannot be measured in dollars, we know that our efforts have made a significant impact in the lives of our clients and in our communities.

Most Valuable Aspects of Paladin

Paladin increases the visibility and accessibility of pro bono work by serving as a ‘one stop shop’ for attorneys looking to get involved pro bono.”

Paladin allows attorneys to conduct a customized search to find pro bono opportunities that they are passionate about.

Paladin also gives attorneys a chance to work on pro bono matters or with pro bono organizations that they would otherwise not know about."

Making a Significant Impact with Pro Bono at Vedder

A team of our attorneys secured a significant pro bono victory resulting in a U.S. Immigration Court Judge in Chicago granting permanent asylum to one of the firm’s pro bono clients. Our client fled Latin America after facing years of brutal domestic and gender-based violence and entered the United States in 2018. Our team engaged in significant fact gathering and legal briefing and worked closely with the client to draft a detailed affidavit supporting her application for asylum. To further support the case, the firm engaged an expert witness who submitted a report to the court validating our client’s fear of future persecution based on conditions in her home country, where gender-based discrimination and violence against women are pervasive. Our client is now able remain in the United States where she is safe, as she works to overcome the trauma she endured in her home country.

Supporting Professional Development through Pro Bono

Pro bono work is an excellent way to develop new skills as an attorney, and we encourage all of our attorneys to seek out new and different pro bono work that will allow them to develop and deepen their legal skills.

Pro bono work not only serves to broaden attorneys’ perspectives, but it also offers unique insights on how our laws and legal processes can impact the lives of individuals both positively and negatively.

Pro bono gives our attorneys an opportunity to work with different people both inside and outside of the firm, and clients with all different backgrounds, helping our attorneys develop as leaders, not just as lawyers."