2012 Pro Bono Publico Award Recipient: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

The U.S. offices of the global law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld devoted more than 67,000 hours to pro bono work, representing an average of 84 hours per U.S. lawyer in 2011, and have increased their pro bono hours by 50 percent since 2006. Akin Gump has represented charter schools, nonprofits and international development organizations, but its primary focus is on low-income individuals, both in traditional poverty law matters and in immigration issues. The firm also established the first corporate counsel medical-legal partnership in the United States by partnering with Wal-Mart to help eliminate barriers to health care.