Commitment to public service and pro bono legal work is a defining characteristic of Simpson Thacher.  In 2007 alone, the Firm's partners, associates and summer associates have devoted more than 50,000 hours to pro bono projects, working on matters as diverse as representing individuals seeking political asylum in the United States, counseling struggling microentrepreneurs, representing prison inmates challenging death sentences, representing Guantanamo detainees in connection with petitions for writs of habeas corpus, and litigating on behalf of New York City school children to ensure that they receive a constitutionally adequate education. 

Simpson Thacher has handled on a pro bono basis matters involving The Legal Aid Society, the Lawyers Alliance for New York, Legal Services for New York City, Human Rights First, the City Bar Justice Center, inMotion, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Doctors Without Borders (recipient of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize), The Apollo Theater Foundation, the Office of the State Appellate Defender, the Natural Resources Defense Council, New Visions for Public Schools, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and the Robin Hood Foundation. The Firm has been recognized with awards from such distinguished organizations as The Legal Aid Society, the New York State Bar Association, inMotion, the United Federation of Teachers, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund, the Lawyers Alliance for New York and the City Bar Justice Center.  

To read about associates' pro bono experiences, please click here.