JUNE 8, 2023 – The American Bar Association (ABA) has announced that Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a sole law group winner of the 2023 Pro Bono Publico Award, the highest honor bestowed by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service.
The firm will be recognized on Aug. 4, along with four individual awardees, at the ABA 2023 Annual Meeting in Denver.
The ABA lauded Davis Wright "for its innovative approach to pro bono practice and its extensive work reimagining pro bono partnerships with in-house legal departments."
"Across the country, our lawyers and staff have helped change lives for the better in BIPOC, marginalized, and underrepresented communities," said Davis Wright's partner-in-charge, Scott MacCormack. "I'm extraordinarily proud of their efforts and grateful as well for the dedication and creativity of our pro bono and social impact department, led by Joanna Boisen. They are an inspiration—not just to our team, but to our many corporate partners as well."
"To be recognized by the ABA is an unbelievable honor, especially given the high quality pro bono work being advanced by major law firms across the nation," said Boisen, the firm's chief pro bono and social impact officer. "Our quest to make the justice system accessible to everyone in new and novel ways never ends, and to be recognized for these efforts inspires us to continue innovating."
Davis Wright's direct pro bono work includes thousands of hours each year in support of racial equity, First Amendment rights, reproductive rights, alleviation of poverty, and many other causes.
The firm is also a national leader in engaging its clients in this effort. Through its "days of service" program, annual In-House Pro Bono Summit, and CLE series, the firm has helped more than 120 clients either engage in pro bono, launch their own pro bono programs, or advised on ways to do good. The firm has also developed a first-of-its-kind digital platform called the In-House Gateway to Good to make it easy for corporate legal teams to access meaningful pro bono and social impact work tailored to their interests. The firm also created and launched a first-to-market educational video series called "In-House Insights" to help in-house departments share knowledge and best practices in the pro bono space.
Davis Wright has been widely recognized for the originality and impact of these efforts. The International Legal Technology Association recently named the In-House Gateway to Good as "Transformative Project of the Year." The platform also won the Innovations in Pro Bono category at the 2023 "Leaders in Tech Law" Awards from American Lawyer Media. Likewise, Legal Services For Children recently honored Davis Wright with its 2023 Excellence In Pro Bono Award for its contributions in representing children and youth. Lastly, the firm is currently on the shortlist for Outstanding Pro Bono Firm of the Year from Chambers USA.
Over the years, the Pro Publico Award has spotlighted efforts of individual lawyers, firms of all sizes, government attorney offices, corporate law departments, and other institutions in the legal profession. Davis Wright is the only firm recognized in this year's awards.
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 firm with more than 600 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. The firm recently published its interactive 2022 Pro Bono and Social Impact Report, available here: https://probonoreport.dwt.design/.