Pro Bono and community
Our mission and vision: making a difference
BCLP has a special obligation to make our professional skills available on a pro bono basis to address the needs of the underserved and to advocate for the protection of human rights, civil rights and liberties, and public rights.
We also contribute other firm resources to meaningfully engage with the communities local to our offices throughout the world, through community volunteering, support and philanthropic giving, encouraging lawyers and staff throughout our firm to take an active part in these initiatives. To see what we do in each of the local communities where we operate, please visit our office location pages.
PRO BONO
BACKGROUND
BCLP’s pro bono work reflects the diverse and passionate interests of our people. Many of the firm’s pro bono matters originate with specific requests from our lawyers. Our pro bono work can involve assisting individual clients or working on innovative projects and initiatives. In either instance, firm lawyers often find themselves working alongside lawyers from legal services organizations, public interest firms, or clients with whom we partner on pro bono work.
Each year BCLP lawyers and other professionals contribute thousands of hours in hundreds of pro bono matter providing legal representation essential to our clients and their unique legal needs. Currently the firm supports four fellowship programs in the US and one secondment in the UK: the Concordance Academy Fellows Program; the Midwest Innocence Project Fellows Program; the BCLP Legal Aid Chicago Fellowship; the BCLP Atlanta Legal Aid Fellowship; and the BCLP secondment with Reprieve, a human rights charity in the UK.
BCLP stays informed about evolving trends in the world of law firm pro bono. We're a member of the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project and a proud Charter Signatory to its Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, as well as a member of the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono.
CURRENT REPORT
Our Pro Bono Report 2023 offers a more in-depth review of notable pro bono work undertaken by the firm in recent years. The report goes beyond the printed page in its description, linking to videos, published stories, and other news sources that help bring to life the work performed and the clients we've helped.
Recent notable headlines
Firm partners with client Citigroup in new pro bono initiative to assist veterans
BCLP’s St. Louis office has a rich history of collaborating with the legal team from longtime client Citigroup (Citi) on pro bono projects aimed at helping underserved populations in the region. BCLP recently joined with Citi again for an important new pro bono opportunity provided by the Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic that aims to assist veterans.
Appellate Team secures Hague Convention pro bono win
Recent Pro Bono Victory: Tibetan Monk Granted Asylum in the United States
MORE ON PRO BONO FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS
What motivates BCLP attorneys and other professionals to do pro bono work? Here’s a sample of their responses.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
- The Windrush Legal Initiative (where BCLP collaborates with seven other firms and the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit) shortlisted for a pro bono award in the inaugural Legal 500 ESG awards 2024, the Lawyer awards 2023 and the British Legal awards 2023.
- Grace Colato Martinez was a 2023 honoree in Missouri Lawyers Media’s annual Up & Coming awards. The awards celebrate outstanding legal professionals who are 40 or younger or who are within their first 10 years of practice. Grace was an honoree in the pro bono category for leading a BCLP team that successfully argued in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas on behalf of a Mexican mother for the return to Mexico of four of her children who were wrongfully removed from her custody and taken without her consent to Kansas City, Kansas.
- Partner Jonathan Potts chosen as 2022 Paul H. Chapman Award recipient by Foundation for Improvement of Justice
- Associate Sasha Riedisser honored by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri for pro bono work at “For The Common Good” awards event
- Partner Bob Hoffman named “Legal Champion” by Missouri Lawyers Media’s 2022 Missouri Lawyers Awards
- Several BCLP attorneys involved in long-running neighborhood stabilization effort, led by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, that was named award recipient of Mutual of America Financial Group’s 2022 Community Partnership Award.
Related Pages
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About BCLP
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Inclusion and Diversity enables the firm to succeed
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Responsible and Sustainable Business
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Our Environment