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 2025 Impact
93%
99%
67,000+
Top 5
No. 6
Band 2
participation in the United States
participation in Europe and Asia
hours devoted to 700+ individual and nonprofit pro bono clients and 125 legal organizations
for pro bono impact internationally for 8 years
– AmLaw 2026 Pro Bono Report
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 2025
for Impact Investing in the United States
– Chambers Global 2026
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.”
– Mel Bostwick, Orrick Supreme Court & Appellate Partner, as told to Bloomberg Law
– 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.”
“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."
– Laura Barr, Orrick Technology Companies Partner, on her work with pro bono client Acumen America
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
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
The power of partnership
Watch the video
NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors Director Rochelle Bobroff, along with Orrick’s Erica Martin and Nick Horton, talk about the impact of our 15-year collaboration on veterans’ lives – including for 25 veterans and their families since 2024.
WATCH
2025 Pro Bono Partner of the Year –
National Veterans Legal Services Program
“My time serving in the Marine Corps was one of the most meaningful times of my life. The shared sense of purpose, camaraderie, overcoming difficult challenges together and supporting one another are values I carry with me today. And working with NVLSP, helping veterans get benefits they are entitled to, is just another opportunity to do that.”
– Nick Horton, Orrick Employment Litigation Senior Associate