Perkins Coie is pleased to announce the donation of $30,000 to the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), which provides pro bono legal assistance to low-income clients. The donation is being funded by attorneys’ fees that Perkins Coie recovered in key pro bono cases.
“One of the most attractive aspects of the Perkins Coie culture is the willingness of its attorneys to take on tough cases and to step up to serve those who truly need our services but cannot afford them,” said Steve Smith, Dallas Office Managing Partner. “Since the office opened in 2010, Perkins Coie attorneys in Dallas have been honored to volunteer their time and efforts on behalf of DVAP, as well as Catholic Charities, Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Turtle Creek Recovery Center and Vogel Alcove.”
Perkins Coie’s efforts on behalf of pro bono clients have helped make a difference in communities across the country. In two cases, one of which challenged unconstitutional practices in Arizona’s prison system and another that challenged the inadequate reimbursement of foster care families in Washington State, Perkins Coie received awards of attorneys’ fees. The firm uses portions of these fees to fund public service initiatives such as the $30,000 donation to the DVAP. Funds not donated to nonprofit organizations are funneled back into the firm’s pro bono program, which provided 63,000 hours of free legal services in 2015.
“Perkins Coie is deeply committed to pro bono service and it’s our practice that any fees awarded to us for our work on pro bono matters are used only for pro bono related purposes — either donated to nonprofit public service organizations or used to fund pro bono initiatives at the firm,” said Leah Medway, Perkins Coie’s Pro Bono Counsel. “We’re thrilled to use the award of attorneys’ fees to benefit DVAP.”
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, a joint program of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, is dedicated to increasing and enhancing pro bono legal services to the poor in Dallas through the recruitment, training, and support of volunteer attorneys.
About Perkins Coie: Founded in 1912, Perkins Coie LLP has more than 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices across the United States and Asia. The firm provides a full array of corporate, commercial litigation and intellectual property legal services to a broad range of clients, from FORTUNE 50 corporations to emerging growth startups, as well as public and not-for-profit organizations. Perkins Coie believes that it is important to provide top-quality legal service on a pro bono basis to those who need it most. Through our pro bono legal work and other public and community service efforts, we continue to change lives and transform our communities. In 2015, Perkins Coie attorneys and legal staff donated approximately 63,000 hours of pro bono legal service.
