Pro Bono

FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD

We see the practice of law as a privilege. With that privilege comes the responsibility to give voice to those who would not otherwise have access to the law or the ability to champion the cause of justice. As signatory to the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®, we strive to donate at least three percent of total billable hours to pro bono every year.

Law as a Vehicle for Change

As a signatory to the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, we are committed to using law as a vehicle for change. We will continue to leverage our resources to amplify voices of individuals and communities oppressed by racism and to promote racial equity in society through large-scale pro bono efforts in collaboration with participating firms. Both immediate and long-term in scope, these projects focus on identifying and dismantling systemic racism in the legal profession, in law and in government organizations.

Historic Commitment

Pro bono defines our history and identity as firm. Over the last century, our founding partners helped Minneapolis newsboys obtain better wages, served as a prosecutor in the Nuremberg war crime trials and represented the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in enforcement of an executive order to desegregate the armed forces. Firm leaders in Kansas City and Minneapolis established groundbreaking nonprofits and foundations that continue to serve the communities where we live and work.

Advancing Our Profession and Our Communities

Staunch supporters of legal advocacy, we encourage our attorneys to carry on the pro bono traditions of our founders. We embrace our legacy today by helping pro bono clients obtain justice in a world where the deck is often stacked against them. Our litigators go to court on behalf of low-income individuals and the organizations that serve them, and our transactional attorneys share their expertise with nonprofits and low-income entrepreneurs and inventors of color.

At the Heart of Our Identity

Stinson's pro bono program, spearheaded by our Pro Bono Committee and implemented by Pro Bono Counsel Katie Cronin, along with Pro Bono Attorneys Tim Sanders Szabo and Judith Westmoreland, and Pro Bono Manager Kayla Hogan, encourages and supports involvement at every level – from partners to summer associates. Our firm strategic plan describes our annual pledge to donate 3% of total billable hours to pro bono legal service as one of our key values and commitments. Through pro bono, our attorneys and paralegals gain skills and invest in their communities while receiving billable hour credit for their work.