Pro Bono & Community Service
Pro bono and community service are integral to Kramer Levin’s practice and culture. We routinely rank highly in the annual AmLaw 200 pro bono survey. Our pro bono achievements have been recognized with major awards from the American Bar Association, the National Law Journal, New York’s Legal Aid Society, and others.
We encourage our lawyers to pursue the pro bono work most meaningful to them – and their passions have fostered broad involvement in such areas as political asylum, LGBT rights, housing and homelessness, criminal trials and appeals, service to nonprofit groups and microentrepreneurs, and more. We have vindicated the rights of homeless children with asthma; helped free innocent Uighur Muslims held at Guantanamo; and filed amicus briefs in landmark civil rights and civil liberties cases, including Lawrence v. Texas. We were co-counsel in Hernandez v. Robles, which sought equal marriage rights for same-sex couples under the New York Constitution, and League of Women Voters v. Cobb, which struck down Florida's burdensome voter registration law. Through our Attorney Service Program, firm lawyers staff a full-time position at South Brooklyn Legal Services representing low-income tenants. Summer associates also actively participate in asylum, Social Security disability, and other pro bono matters.
The firm has a rich history of involvement in public and community service. Many of our attorneys have served as directors of leading nonprofit legal service providers, including the Legal Aid Society, Human Rights First, South Brooklyn Legal Services, Volunteers of Legal Service, and the New York Legal Assistance Group, as well as other community-based, cultural, and religious nonprofits. Many of us are also involved in volunteer service to nonprofit organizations, youth mentoring and moot court programs, and other public service activities. In addition, Kramer Levin participates in a wide range of non-legal community service activities that involve both lawyers and staff.