Advocating for those who can’t
We are humbled by the sheer numbers of people who fall through the cracks in our legal system.
The need for pro bono legal services is vast, and we do whatever we can to fill it. Serving the underserved, representing the under-represented, and aiding diverse organizations that impact our communities, these are deep commitments we make as a firm. Giving back is baked into our culture.
Each of our attorneys is encouraged to actively participate in pro bono and almost all do. Our non-partner attorneys can receive credit for up to 150 billable hours of pro bono work. We’re never short of projects, but if an attorney has a passion for a particular cause, we’re happy to take that on as well.
In virtually every area of the law—prisoner rights, racial justice and equality issues, LGBTQ+ support, health care access, disability benefits, immigration/asylum cases, veterans’ affairs, landlord-tenant disputes, and much more—we stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.
Prisoner Compassionate Release Project
During the pandemic, we were proud to represent federal prisoners vulnerable to COVID-19, who were predominantly people of color suffering from serious medical conditions, in their requests for compassionate release at a critical time.
Our Causes
These are just a few areas we’ve been working on for years. We’ve done great things for the groups we’ve built relationships with.
Racial justice and equality
Claims of false arrest, excessive force, and unreasonable search and seizure are just a few examples of injustice disproportionately affecting minorities. We’re giving our time to several organizations tackling inequality in our legal system.
Organizations like the 1983 Mediation Advocacy Training Program, through which we’re offering unrepresented litigants a pro bono attorney for the purpose of mediation in matters that arise under Section 1983. We’re also partnering with Street Law’s Racial Justice Democracy Renewal Initiative to help young people of color understand how to protect their rights, engage deeply in discussions about contested public issues, and advocate effectively for reform.
LGBTQ+ support
We have been recognized for our ongoing work on behalf of LGBTQ+ individuals and the organizations that help them.
Our attorneys have given their time to LeGal’s Walk-In Clinic to help members of the LGBTQ+ community handle a range of issues such as housing, immigration, and discrimination. We’ve also provided pro bono legal name change services to low-income transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people through the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Name Change Project.
Health care access
Our health law attorneys are striving to improve health care access for vulnerable populations. Health access issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are the most recent examples of this work. Over 20 attorneys and staff members came together to successfully file several compassionate release motions on behalf of federal prisoners vulnerable to COVID-19.
Securing benefits
For over a decade, we’ve partnered with the DC Bar Advocacy & Justice Clinic to secure essential public and disability benefits for our clients. Through this partnership, we’ve negotiated landlord-tenant disputes so clients too frail or poor to move can remain in their homes, and we’ve worked to restore benefits to people struggling with rejected disability claims.
Veterans affairs
Veterans and their families make great sacrifices on behalf of the country. Our attorneys have made it a mission to assist them. The EBG Veterans Pro Bono Group has taken on projects that reverse less-than-honorable discharges and assist veterans who have been denied health care claims. We also participate in mentoring and other activities for children of fallen soldiers.
40+ pro bono hours averaged by each participating attorney
83% of Associates participate in pro bono
4 consecutive Annual Pro Bono Challenges
Community Service
Our attorneys and staff give back any way they can. We are extremely proud not only of the community service we do as a firm but also of the many ways our attorneys and staff give back personally. The firm stands ready to support these projects – whether they are nonprofit board positions, local service opportunities, or causes near and dear to our hearts, like The Amanda Rose Laura Foundation.
Pro Bono Contacts/Committee
