DWT Pro Bono & Social Impact

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is proud to support in-house legal departments in their do-good efforts through the In-House Gateway to Good. “DWT's In-House Gateway to Good is an incredible tool that has been an enormous asset to our pro bono program,” says Michelle Painter Lama of T-Mobile. “Designed to serve the communities, causes, and constituencies our employees care about, this innovative tool enables our legal team, including non-attorneys, to participate in impactful initiatives nationwide. By leveraging the Gateway to Good, T-Mobile significantly enhances its pro bono engagement, positively impacting communities throughout the country.” Please reach out to Kaitlyn Fallon to learn more about DWT’s In-House Gateway to Good and other pro bono and social impact offerings for in-house teams.

Our Annual In-House Pro Bono Summit returns on September 25th! Register now to hear from Nicole Benincasa, Senior Regulatory Counsel at Uber; Todd Stillerman, Associate General Counsel & Managing Director in the CIB, Tech, Innovation & Information Division at Wells Fargo; and George Wukoson, General Counsel of Everyday Health, during our “Doing More with Less: Optimizing Impact, Time, and Resources” panel. This session, one of four in the half-day program, will focus exclusively on how in-house lawyers and staff can give back and still make a major impact in the world without sacrificing an exorbitant amount of resources, funding, or time. The discussion will be moderated by Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Pro Bono Corporate Partnerships Attorney Kaitlyn Fallon. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gpsSZVq4

Last month, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP T partnered with VoteRiders and 19 of our in-house clients to host a letter writing party, where 168 volunteers wrote to over 1,000 Georgia voters to share critical information regarding the state's voter identification rules. Our work with VoteRiders helps ensure that all citizens are empowered to cast their vote and help shape the future of our country. Voting is not only a civic duty, but an act of patriotism and one we are proud to support.

We are honored to announce that DWT will be recognized at Catholic Migration Services' Impact Reception this fall. CMS provides pro bono legal services to low-income New York residents, work that Davis Wright Tremaine LLP supports in partnership with several of our in-house clients by assisting with citizenship applications and eligibility screenings for asylum, temporary protected status, and work authorizations.   "We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to help advance their mission-critical work," says DWT's Kaitlyn Fallon, "and being able to do that with our in-house counterparts makes this recognition all the more special." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eNQ2Rsxf

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP was proud to sponsor a dedicated #PRIDEBuild this past Wednesday where Manny Comas, Lorenzo Mata, Kelli M., Rachael Morgan, Mariah Watson, and Ty Wilson spent the day working alongside the Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County at the Yarrow Cottage site in Seattle, WA. One in six U.S. households spend half or more of their income on housing, but this work aims to create more affordable housing options and ensure everyone has a place to call home. 

We are thrilled to announce the full agenda for our 6th Annual In-House Pro Bono Summit! Our outstanding faculty will discuss the hottest topics facing in-house teams in 2024 and cover the special ethics rules that apply to in-house legal departments engaging in doing good.   Attendees will hear from esteemed experts, including Thomas Golden of Bloomberg LP, Jacqueline Lee of Flynn Group, Hossein Nowbar of Microsoft, and Dev Stahlkopf of Cisco, as they discuss, “General Counsels Prioritizing Justice: How Great Leaders Advance Business While Impacting Community,” a panel moderated by Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Rachel R. Brown.   Our “Doing More with Less: Optimizing Impact, Time, and Resources” discussion will feature Nicole Benincasa of Uber, Todd Stillerman of Wells Fargo, and George Wukoson of Everyday Health with DWT’s Kaitlyn Fallon moderating the session.   Our San Francisco office’s Partner-in-Charge, Vid Prabhakaran, will moderate a discussion surrounding “Creating Value, Impact, and Inclusion Through Social Impact,” with Laura K. Gallagher of AIG and KellyAnne Brophy of DWT.   Lastly, we will conclude with an ethical discussion from DWT’s Chief Pro Bono & Social Impact Officer, Joanna Plichta Boisen, as she breaks down “Your New Roman Empire: The Ethics of Doing Good.”   Register here to join us for this jam-packed half-day of virtual programming to learn more about doing good in-house: https://lnkd.in/gpsSZVq4

Join us on June 27, at 12:00 PT/3:00 ET for the session of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s In-House Gateway to Good educational series.   Speakers Barrie K. Handy, Senior Manager of Sustainability & Philanthropy at DWT, and Adrián Palma, Global Pro Bono Manager & Digital Strategist at Microsoft will discuss how to effectively determine where your charitable dollars should go, how to structure a charitable budget and policy, how to align these dollars with your company's larger goals and social responsibility priorities, and how to apply your company’s philanthropic approach to pro bono and board service.   Register here: https://lnkd.in/gFCXWEEY

Join us on Thursday, June 27, 2024, from 12:00–12:45 p.m. PT for Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s next session of our In-House Gateway to Good educational series. This discussion will cover how to effectively determine where your charitable dollars should go, how to structure a charitable budget and policy, how to align these dollars with your company's larger goals and social responsibility priorities, and how to apply your company’s philanthropic approach to pro bono and board service. We hope you can join us!   This conversation will feature speakers Barrie K. Handy, Senior Manager of Sustainability & Philanthropy at DWT, and Adrián Palma, Global Pro Bono Manager & Digital Strategist at Microsoft.   Register here: https://lnkd.in/gFCXWEEY

The Counsel for Justice Award recognizes a counsel who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to serving in-need communities and advancing critical causes. We are thrilled to present it to New York counsel Abigail Everdell.   Abigail's pro bono commitment has long been evident across her practice. Most recently, she helped represent five photojournalists who were assaulted and arrested for newsgathering during the 2020 George Floyd protests. Her work on this important civil rights litigation against the NYPD led the Davis Wright Tremaine LLP team to achieve a landmark settlement requiring the NYPD to implement significant changes to its policies on the treatment of journalists and adequately train officers on those policies, protecting First Amendment interests that are vital to our democracy.   Thank you, Abigail, for your tireless pro bono efforts. Your impact-driven pro bono work represents the very best of who we are, and it is an honor to celebrate you. #DWTprobono

The Julie Orr Heart of Justice Award is given annually to an associate who demonstrates a remarkable commitment to pro bono service and advancing justice. This year, it is our utmost pleasure and honor to award it to Washington, D.C., associate Lauren M. Harris, Esq.   A first-generation college graduate and former fifth grade teacher, Lauren's legal journey is rooted in impact, intentionality, and zealous advocacy. Her pro bono work includes protecting reproductive rights and advocating on behalf of youth seeking asylum. Lauren was also a key partner in advancing Davis Wright Tremaine LLP's work with the Southern Poverty Law Center, helping challenge hurdles that make voting in Georgia difficult for people of color and those with disabilities.   Lauren's pro bono work showcases the positive impact we can all have on communities and causes nationwide when we give of our time and talent. Thank you, Lauren, for your inspiring devotion to serving others and congratulations on this well-deserved achievement. #DWTprobono