Simpson Thacher has an abiding commitment to public service. Pro bono work is engrained in our professional ethos. Each year the Firm devotes tens of thousands of hours to pro bono projects that include advocating on behalf of low-income clients and the nonprofits that serve them.
We work for the preservation of the environment, adequate education, and civil and human rights. The efforts of our lawyers include:
- representing individuals seeking asylum in the United States and other immigration remedies
- providing corporate and tax counsel to nonprofits that provide programs and services for underserved and poor communities
- representing victims of violence and human trafficking
- advocating for individuals facing discrimination, eviction, and loss of liberty
- counseling micro-entrepreneurs both in the United States and abroad
- representing environmental organizations seeking to protect endangered species and wilderness areas
- advocating for students and families seeking access to education
- writing amicus briefs on civil rights issues to the United States Supreme and Circuit Courts
Some of our longstanding pro bono clients include Doctors Without Borders, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Robin Hood Foundation, New Visions for Public Schools, and the Apollo Theater Foundation.
We count among our legal services partners the ACLU, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Kids in Need of Defense, Human Rights First, Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, Brennan Center for Justice, National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty, The Legal Aid Society of New York, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Lawyers Alliance for New York, City Bar Justice Center, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Sanctuary for Families, Her Justice, Legal Services NYC, Immigration Equality, Bronx Defenders, The Door, Start Small Think Big, Mobilization for Justice, Volunteers of Legal Service, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Public Counsel, Legal Aid at Work, DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, Legal Aid of the District of Columbia, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Washington, and many of them have recognized the Firm with awards for our pro bono work.
Our attorneys believe in using their skills and passions to serve low-income communities, fight against injustice, preserve access to the courts, and enforce the rule of law. The Firm’s pro bono efforts demonstrate the same commitment to excellence as we do all our work. The Firm’s full-year Public Service Fellowship and Summer Public Interest Fellowship Programs further demonstrate our manifest commitment to pro bono values.