MARCH 24, 2023 – With its extraordinary new platform for helping in-house counsel serve in-need communities, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP won the Innovations in Pro Bono category at the "Leaders in Tech Law" Awards from American Lawyer Media.
The awards recognize "precedent-setting, game-changing projects and initiatives" that advance "innovation in the legal technology sector." Winners were announced this week at ALM's Legalweek conference in New York.
"We pride ourselves on providing exceptional service," said Davis Wright's firmwide partner-in-charge, Scott MacCormack. "That includes thinking creatively about new and better ways to engage and assist our clients—not just in achieving their strategic goals, but also in strengthening our communities. The In-House Gateway to Good delivers on that promise. I'm delighted to see its value recognized at such an influential national forum."
The In-House Gateway to Good is a first-of-its-kind, interactive service that makes it easy for in-house legal departments of any size to engage in pro bono and optimize their impact. Jointly developed by Davis Wright's pro bono department and enterprise projects team, the platform is multifaceted and includes case and research opportunities, educational videos, a progress tracker, customized consulting options, and a communication tool for in-house pro bono leads to exchange information, ask questions, and build community.
"Our in-house counterparts are deeply committed to increasing access to justice," said Joanna Plichta Boisen, chief pro bono and social impact officer at Davis Wright. "To date, we've had the privilege of serving as the go-to resource for more than 100 in-house departments seeking to build effective and compliant pro bono programs. Now, the In-House Gateway to Good will enable us to meet this demand at an unprecedented scale, helping our clients engage their legal teams, meet ESG goals, and meaningfully address the ever-growing need for civil legal aid."
"We define innovation, in part, as the application of technology to help deliver services in ways that provide value beyond just legal excellence," said Daniel Szabo, Davis Wright's director of enterprise projects. "In this case, we did an exhaustive industry-wide search for offerings to accommodate our ambitions, but realized that the platform we wanted, the platform the industry needed, would be the one we built ourselves. We're very gratified by the feedback we've already received about the In-House Gateway to Good from the largest technology companies in the world, and we can't wait to see how our clients leverage the platform to better the world."
The recognition from Legalweek comes on the heels of multiple other honors for Davis Wright's innovative and entrepreneurial pro bono and social impact programs. In June, the firm won the national Pro Bono: Innovation Award at the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2022. The firm was also honored with the Washington State Bar Association's 2022 APEX Award in the category of Legal Innovation. Also in 2022, Law360 named the firm among the legal industry's top 10 Social Impact Leaders.
Said MacCormack: "We are determined to continue inventing new ways to serve our clients that provide real value and help them make an impact in their industries and in their communities."
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 firm with more than 700 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.dwt.com/probono.