Pro Bono
National Week of Celebration Spotlights Diverse Matters Across the Firm
For national Pro Bono Week 2024, held from October 21‑25, Cravath shone a light on the diverse matters and events its attorneys lent their time to throughout the year.
This work is a cornerstone of the Firm’s practice and a fundamental part of its culture, providing a meaningful way for lawyers to develop their legal skills while providing critical assistance to pro bono clients.
From an August asylum victory for a gay couple fleeing Russia to counsel for a variety of small nonprofit and charitable organizations throughout the year, learn more about some of Cravath’s recent pro bono work below.
Pro Bono Week Panel
On October 23, 2024, Cravath hosted a panel discussion as part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono entitled “Justice in Action: Celebrating Pro Bono Week.” The event featured a conversation between several associates and was moderated by partner Antony L. Ryan, covering the panelists’ pro bono experiences, how pro bono work has shaped their careers and the crucial role it plays in ensuring access to justice for clients. Read more about the panel here.
NYC Foster Care
On August 23, 2024, Cravath and co-counsel A Better Childhood (ABC) won class certification for children in New York City’s foster care system, advancing longstanding litigation seeking to remedy ongoing violations of the children’s rights. The decision, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, came after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a prior ruling denying class certification in September 2023.
Cravath and ABC originally filed the class action lawsuit for injunctive relief on behalf of 19 named plaintiff children in the custody of New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, seeking to remedy the ongoing violation of the children’s rights under the Due Process Clause as well as various state and federal statutory provisions. Read more about the case here.
Asylum Victory
Cravath has long focused on providing pro bono legal services to those fleeing persecution in their home countries and, together with the New York City Anti-Violence Project, celebrated an asylum win for a married couple from Russia facing persecution because of their LGBTQ+ status.
On August 8, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted asylum to a gay couple from Russia who suffered violence and persecution based on their sexual orientation. Cravath began representing these clients in their applications for asylum in 2017, following a referral from the New York City Anti‑Violence Project. Read more about the matter here.
Children’s Hospital Project
Cravath, together with Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), has worked with the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Health System and the Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital since 2002 to provide pro bono legal services to patients and their families. Through a program developed in coordination with doctors and social workers, Cravath attorneys have helped patients and their families with immigration, housing, education, insurance and other matters. Read more about the Firm’s ongoing pro bono contributions here.
Corporate Pro Bono Work
Throughout the year, the Firm also provided pro bono counsel to a variety of small nonprofit and charitable organizations including Amend, Black Fashion World Foundation, Inc., Earth Matter NY, Institute for the Development of Human Arts, SPEAKHIRE, Teens of Color Abroad and Ujima Pan African Media Archives (UPAMA), assisting with corporate structure and governance, tax, real estate, intellectual property and other mission-critical matters.
