American Bar Association Honors Weil Gotshal Law Firm with 2009 Pro Bono Publico Award for Outstanding Public Service

CHICAGO, July 20, 2009 – The law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP will be recognized with one of five 2009 Pro Bono Publico Awards from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service.
 
Weil Gotshal will receive its award on Monday, Aug. 3, at the Pro Bono Publico Awards Assembly Luncheon at noon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, during the ABA Annual Meeting.
 
ABA President H. Thomas Wells Jr. will present the 2009 awards. “Weil Gotshal is a leader among law firms,” said Wells. “With more than 90 percent of its partners doing pro bono work, the firm is setting a standard for the profession.  Through its goals for growth and sustainability of its pro bono program, the firm is putting into practice its belief that pro bono work is the right thing to do.”
 
The Pro Bono Publico Awards honor individuals or organizations in the legal community that enhance the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to the poor or disadvantaged.
 
Weil Gotshal, an international law firm with more than 1,300 lawyers, is in the top 5 percent of law firms in pro bono participation, diversity and associate satisfaction, according to the 2009 American Lawyer AmLaw 200 survey.
 
In 2005, the Weil Gotshal made pro bono work a firm-wide priority, nearly tripling the hours of service by firm members from 27,600 in 2003 to 87,486 in 2006. Today the average number of pro bono hours by the firm’s lawyers is more than 85 a year, the equivalent of nearly 50 full-time lawyers.
 
Weil Gotshal’s pro bono projects include civil, human and voting rights; political asylum; and community and economic development.
 
More information on the Pro Bono Publico Awards and the 2009 recipients is available at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/nav_awards.shtml.
 
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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