We believe we have a responsibility…
individually and collectively … to make an impact in our communities. It’s part of what inspires us about practicing law together.
Lawyers across our teams – litigation, transactional and regulatory – are engaged in ensuring equitable access to representation. Particular areas of leadership include impact finance and veterans’ rights and we are proud to collaborate with leading firms around the world to strengthen the pro bono culture in our profession.
Our 2024 Impact
Top 10 for pro bono impact for the past decade
– The American Lawyer
93%
97%
67,500+
Top 10
No. 5
No. 1
No. 2
Band 2
participation in the United States
participation in Europe and Asia
hours devoted to 750 individual and nonprofit pro bono clients and 125 legal services organizations
for U.S. pro bono impact for 10 consecutive years and international pro bono impact for 9 consecutive years
– American Lawyer 2024 Pro Bono Scorecard
on Am Law’s Breadth of Commitment list which ranks firms by the percentage of U.S.-based lawyers who performed 20+ hours of pro bono work in 2023
for Pro Bono
– Law360, 2023
Social Impact Leader
– Law360, 2023
for Impact Investing
– Chambers USA, 2024
Areas of Impact
Members of our team choose the areas on which they want to focus their pro bono efforts. Click to learn more about each area of impact.
21%
40%
5%
Impact Finance & Empowering Non Profits
access to justice
Sustainability
What Pro Bono Means to Us
Program Leaders
Our program is led by two full-time pro bono lawyers, Rene Kathawala (LinkedIn | Contact) in the U.S. and Amy Grunske (LinkedIn | Contact) internationally, who maximize the impact for our clients, our communities and our team. They help our lawyers find projects that personally interest and inspire them and also lead numerous initiatives with in-house client teams and legal aid partners.
“I’m most proud of the pro bono work I have been able to do on behalf of our nation’s veterans. Like many other Federal Circuit law clerks, I witnessed at the beginning of my legal career how disadvantaged these veterans are in a legal system that is meant to benefit them, and what a difference a lawyer can make. I came out of my clerkship with a sincere desire to be part of the solution. I am so grateful to have been able to build a significant pro bono practice representing both individual veterans and groups aligned with pro-veteran interests to advocate for a legal regime that properly recognizes the debt we as a nation owe to these men and women and affords them the assistance they need to pursue their claims. The single proudest moment of my legal career was stepping up to the podium to argue the Procopio en banc case, knowing that the benches behind me were filled with Blue Water Navy sailors who were there both relying on me and cheering me on as their advocate. Their sacrifices and their support meant everything.”
“As I’ve become a more experienced attorney, I look for ways to use my legal expertise and experience to make a meaningful, positive impact in communities of color. Orrick’s strong commitment to pro bono and social justice creates the perfect opportunity to help shift the balance of equity and make a real difference.”
– Nathelie Ashby, Of Counsel
– Mel Bostwick, Orrick Supreme Court & Appellate Partner, as told to Bloomberg Law
“My pro bono work at Orrick has always been a natural extension of the work I do daily. I joined our E&I team in large part because I wanted to work on the transition to a sustainable energy sector. I wanted to do well at something while also doing some good. Being an Orrick Racial Justice Fellow was an opportunity to do even more of that. Through my fellowship with Common Future, I worked with a team that is rethinking ways finance can operate in BIPOC communities to better help businesses in those communities grow. We started a fund for entrepreneurs that deployed credit based on criteria focused on character, not just credit scores. Doing this kind of substantive work for others is why I went into law in the first place.”
– Jennifer Keighley, Orrick Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution Partner, as told to Law.com
“After I joined Orrick, I was lucky enough to continue working pro bono on a few cases I had worked on while I was at Planned Parenthood. And I’ve also worked on a wide range of other pro bono matters while at Orrick, from briefing (and arguing) immigration appeals in the Fifth and Ninth Circuits, to drafting amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court on a range of issues (including excessive force, the constitutionality of the death penalty, and reproductive rights). I firmly believe that all lawyers have a responsibility to give back to their communities by participating in pro bono work. In addition to the social value of pro bono work, these matters are often where associates will be able to take on leadership roles in their cases and obtain argument and other stand-up opportunities. So, I believe that partners have a duty to support and supervise associates doing pro bono work.”
– Walter Alarkon, Orrick Energy & Infrastructure Senior Associate
Promoting access to justice.
We have advocated for systemic change in many areas. Examples of our impact include:
Partnering with the Center for Reproductive Rights to convince a Michigan state judge to block a 24-hour waiting period, mandatory counseling and other requirements for people seeking abortions.
Shaping amicus arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court strengthening legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community, including the right to gay marriage.
Supporting a constitutional challenge that resulted in expanding Missouri’s underfunded indigent defense system.
Securing settlement of a civil rights case mandating reforms in a Massachusetts police department.
Fighting for reforms to New York’s family court and civil justice system to require prompt decision-making in all cases and protect the rights of indigent mothers seeking child support.
Safeguarding rights.
We have a long record of protecting vulnerable immigrants. Examples of our impact include:
Winning two cases in the U.S. Supreme Court as well as others around the nation protecting immigrants from deportations resulting from arbitrary enforcement detention policies.
Filing a lawsuit, in collaboration with Tahirih Justice Center, to secure interviews for 17 asylum seekers – all were granted asylum.
Collaborating with immigrant rights organizations to bring the first class action lawsuit challenging the U.S. government’s Migrant Protection Protocols policy on the basis of disability. We achieved a settlement enabling hundreds of asylum seekers with disabilities to access safer conditions and other protections.
Helping asylum seekers from war-torn countries such as Ukraine and Afghanistan to access refugee assistance and reunification with their families.
Supporting the mission driven.
We provide comprehensive outside general counsel services to 200+ nonprofit clients focused on areas such as environment, education and racial justice. A few of our clients include:
iNaturalist, one of the world’s most popular citizen-science sites working to connect people to nature and advance biodiversity science and conservation.
Recidiviz, a data platform working to accelerate progress toward a smaller, fairer criminal justice system.
GirlTrek, an innovator in bringing wellness to 700 million Black women worldwide.
The Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships and support to prepare students for college and the professional workforce.
A global imperative.
We collaborate with peer law firms worldwide to pioneer advances in pro bono practice, from mobilizing for refugees from war-torn nations to helping fill gaps in social services. Financial Times recognized three refugee-focused pro bono initiatives we help lead in Europe. Examples of our impact include:
We have mobilized globally to aid Ukrainian war refugees, helping document war crimes, negotiate humanitarian ceasefire corridors and investigate the use of Russian assets for reparations. This includes a collaboration with eight other law firms supporting charitable organization Safe Passage to help Ukrainian refugees navigate the UK’s Homes for Ukraine visa program (recognized at the Financial Times 2023 Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards).
We took the lead in the collaborative response of 42 law firms across the UK, France, Germany and Italy to the refugee crisis in Afghanistan, creating pro bono projects in each country.
We lead the Greece Collaborative, a pro bono collaboration between Orrick and five other law firms and the NGO European Lawyers in Lesvos to address an access to justice crisis for asylum seekers in Greece.
We obtained rare refugee status for an Iranian citizen in Japan – an extraordinary result with life-saving consequences.
We have collaborated in China with ForNGO, establishing a roadmap for the country’s emerging philanthropic sector.
We are working at the forefront of access to justice and family reunification projects across Europe, helping adults with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties to secure benefits and families with terminally ill children to obtain housing.
We collaborated with PILPG to help with accountability measures that will benefit the Rohingya who were subject to genocide in Myanmar.
Standing up for heroes.
We have won multiple appellate cases protecting benefits for thousands of veterans while also advocating for veterans in administrative proceedings, working with the National Veterans Legal Services Program, The Veterans Consortium and Swords to Plowshares. Examples of our impact include:
Winning a precedent-setting Federal Circuit case establishing a pathway to benefits for Blue Water Navy vets exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court about the review of veterans claims.
Establishing Federal Circuit precedent on class certification in veterans benefits cases.
Helping GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders win coverage for gender-affirming surgery for dependents of U.S. military personnel.
Accelerating the transition.
We support innovators working to positively impact climate change. Examples of our impact include:
Assisting climate justice nonprofit RE-volv in developing an innovative solar loan product that will help community-serving nonprofits become more sustainable.
Developing a new iteration of the Forest Resilience Bond for longtime client Blue Forest Conservation, drawing on blended finance to mobilize private capital at scale to support forest restoration efforts.
Shaping measures in every state to ensure federal infrastructure money to address climate change is equitably distributed to disadvantaged communities.
Investing in change.
We were the first global law firm to establish an Impact Finance & Investment practice, supporting investors and entrepreneurs working to improve the quality of life for people in every part of the world. Examples of our work with longstanding pro bono clients include:
Serving as counsel to Acumen America, a division of Acumen Fund, in an investment into SUMA Wealth, a platform that helps the Latinx community build, manage and sustain wealth.
Supporting A to Z Impact Foundation in a complex transaction to support BluLever Education, an innovative South African vocational education startup.
Helping global nonprofit investment firm Calvert Impact Capital with a debt transaction with a new borrower that lends to small businesses in under-resourced communities in the United States.
Our collective commitment.
We partner with our clients’ in-house legal teams to amplify our impact. Examples include:
With Cisco, we provide representation to vulnerable clients, including advocating for children and conducting legal clinics for a wide range of underserved populations from low-income small business owners to LGBTQ+ individuals seeking to change their names, gender markers and identity documents.
With PayPal, we are helping 14 veterans with discharge upgrade applications to vindicate their service and make them eligible for benefits they cannot presently access.
– Orrick senior associate Jonas Wang, describing their first oral argument in a case that established Federal Circuit precedent on class certification in veterans benefits cases that will have an impact for many more veterans going forward
“It feels great to use my core skillset with a high-impact pro bono client. It is inspiring to learn about the types of companies that Acumen supports with its investments and the impact that these companies are making. The opportunity to work on sophisticated deals with a great client and also learn about the direct impact the work has on individuals is a triple win. And it has given me an opportunity to build relationships with so many colleagues at Orrick through our work together."
“The Federal Circuit opinion reaffirms that the class vehicle is very much alive in the veterans [benefits] context, and that is critical for largely unrepresented people, who are all often sharing the same kind of injuries, to be able to get basic justice.”
– Laura Barr, Orrick Technology Companies Partner, on her work with pro bono client Acumen America
– Walter Alarkon, Orrick Energy & Infrastructure Senior Associate and Former Racial Justice Fellow
“My pro bono work at Orrick has always been a natural extension of the work I do daily. I joined our E&I team in large part because I wanted to work on the transition to a sustainable energy sector. I wanted to do well at something while also doing some good. Being an Orrick Racial Justice Fellow was an opportunity to do even more of that. Through my fellowship with Common Future, I worked with a team that is rethinking ways finance can operate in BIPOC communities to better help businesses in those communities grow. We started a fund for entrepreneurs that deployed credit based on criteria focused on character, not just credit scores. Doing this kind of substantive work for others is why I went into law in the first place.”
The Orrick Racial, Social and Economic Justice Fellowship Program was a four-year initiative (2021-2024) in response to a call for a new kind of corporate citizenship. Over the course of this program, we embedded 17 experienced lawyers full time for a year at innovative public service organizations working to address community needs and national policy. Our fellows helped these organizations enhance their impact, while also accelerating the development of their leadership and substantive legal skills. Learn more about the program and our impact.
Partnering
with clients
5%
europe & Asia
12%
Immigration & Asylum
9%
Impact Finance & Social Enterprise
Justice & social equity
Environmental Justice & Sustainability
Veterans
Rights
5%
40%
5%
8%
Veterans Rights
8%
Our Clients’ Stories
Protecting our land and communities
Empowering first responders
Relief for a veteran denied benefits for 18 years
Pain is complicated. For nearly two decades, veteran Melba Saunders suffered from debilitating knee pain that doctors confirmed stemmed from her time serving in the Gulf War. But the way disability was defined according to the Department of Veterans Affairs didn’t encompass her condition because she didn’t have a diagnosable condition.
Orrick took her case in partnership with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), and argued in the Federal Circuit that "disability" should be understood as functional impairment, not just a diagnosable condition.
The court unanimously agreed, recognizing that pain can significantly impair a veteran’s ability to function and earn a living, and deserves compensation if it can be traced back to military service. The court described the rule we advocated for as "common sense," emphasizing the policy underlying veterans’ compensation: to support veterans whose earning capacity is impaired due to their service. This decision is not only life-changing for Melba but also sets a precedent for veterans seeking support for pain-related disabilities.
Orrick lawyers donated 3,400 pro bono hours to veterans’ causes in 2023-2024.
A case that brings common sense to the way we recognize disabilities resulting from military service
Under federal law, systemic discrimination challenges are most often brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (prohibiting discrimination based on age), the Americans with Disabilities Act (prohibiting discrimination based on disability), and the Equal Pay Act (prohibiting unexplained pay disparities between employees of the opposite sex). Many state and local laws also prohibit employment discrimination, sometimes providing even greater protections than federal law, and may be enforced on a class-wide basis. The procedural mechanisms for bringing a systemic discrimination claim vary based on the statute at issue and the entity pursuing the claim. For example, a private plaintiff alleging class-based pay discrimination under Title VII would proceed under the class action provisions of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 (Rule 23), while a similar claim brought under the Equal Pay Act would proceed under the collective action provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. By contrast, government agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), can bring “pattern or practice” cases challenging systemic discrimination without satisfying the procedural hurdle of class certification that applies to private plaintiffs.
What laws prohibit systemic (class-wide) employment discrimination?
In a wildfire, every second counts. Watch Duty is often the first to notify the community including first responders across 13 states. Amid the Palisades and Eaton wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in early 2025, Watch Duty played a vital role in helping thousands of local residents evacuate with their loved ones.
Watch Duty provides real-time alerts, maps and tracks wildfires through a service operated by volunteer firefighters, retired dispatchers, first responders and reporters – and is relied upon by experts in disaster relief, such as the American Red Cross.
An Orrick team supports Watch Duty as legal counsel, advising on strategic partnerships with B2B organizations to licensing and volunteer agreements, with a real focus on responsible data use. We’re honored to play a role in helping develop the legal strategy of this great public safety innovator.
Orrick lawyers donated 6,700 pro bono hours to environmental causes in 2023-2024.
Bringing innovation to wildfire response and public safety with Watch Duty
Wildfire mitigation efforts, such as fuel removal, reforestation, and thinning, frequently face financial challenges due to insufficient funding or delayed payment. Blue Forest, a conservation finance non-profit founded in 2015, advances ecosystem restoration to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire through scientific research, financial innovation and collaborative partnerships.
Since 2018, Blue Forest has managed investor capital through its flagship financial product, the Forest Resilience Bond (FRB), which deploys private capital to finance forest restoration projects. This conservation finance tool connects funding sources to the quantified ecosystem benefits, bringing in new money and enabling cost-sharing among beneficiaries. Blue Forest has accelerated this work through its FRB Catalyst Facility, a pooled investment vehicle that has streamlined financing for multiple FRBs across California, Oregon, and Washington.
More recently, Blue Forest established Blue Forest Asset Management (BFAM), an investment management platform connecting investors to compelling, mission-aligned opportunities in a broader set of asset classes beyond FRB projects. BFAM’s first investment strategy, the $50 million California Wildfire Innovation Fund (CWIF), provides flexible financing to companies and projects leading forest restoration and wildfire mitigation work across California.
Orrick’s Pro Bono and Impact Finance teams have supported Blue Forest since its incorporation in 2015, helping it scale, design a series of FRBs and related resilience bonds and launch its California Wildfire Innovation Fund. Together, we’re driving financial innovation to protect landscapes and communities.
Orrick lawyers donated 5,835 pro bono hours to impact finance work in 2023-2024.
Accelerating forest restoration efforts with financial innovator Blue Forest
Pain is complicated. For nearly two decades, veteran Melba Saunders suffered from debilitating knee pain that doctors confirmed stemmed from her time serving in the Gulf War. But the way disability was defined according to the Department of Veterans Affairs didn’t encompass her condition because she didn’t have a diagnosable condition.
Orrick took her case in partnership with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), and argued in the Federal Circuit that "disability" should be understood as functional impairment, not just a diagnosable condition.
The court unanimously agreed, recognizing that pain can significantly impair a veteran’s ability to function and earn a living, and deserves compensation if it can be traced back to military service. The court described the rule we advocated for as "common sense," emphasizing the policy underlying veterans’ compensation: to support veterans whose earning capacity is impaired due to their service. This decision is not only life-changing for Melba but also sets a precedent for veterans seeking support for pain-related disabilities.
Orrick lawyers donated 3,400 pro bono hours to veterans’ causes in 2023-2024
A case that brings common sense to the way we recognize disabilities resulting from military service
In a wildfire, every second counts. Watch Duty is often the first to notify the community including first responders across 13 states. Amid the Palisades and Eaton wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in early 2025, Watch Duty played a vital role in helping thousands of local residents evacuate with their loved ones.
Watch Duty provides real-time alerts, maps and tracks wildfires through a service operated by volunteer firefighters, retired dispatchers, first responders and reporters – and is relied upon by experts in disaster relief, such as the American Red Cross.
An Orrick team supports Watch Duty as legal counsel, advising on strategic partnerships with B2B organizations to licensing and volunteer agreements, with a real focus on responsible data use. We’re honored to play a role in helping develop the legal strategy of this great public safety innovator.
Orrick lawyers donated 6,700 pro bono hours to environmental causes in 2023-2024
Bringing innovation to wildfire response and public safety with Watch Duty