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Pro Bono Contact |
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| Pro Bono Contact Name | Sasha M. Gurvitz |
| Pro Bono Contact Title | Hiring Partner |
| Pro Bono Contact Phone | (310) 407-4032 |
| Pro Bono Contact Email | [email protected] |
| Is the pro bono information indicated here firm-wide or specific to one office? | Firm-wide |
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| % Firm Billable Hours last year | |
| Average Hours per Attorney last year |
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Pro Bono Participation |
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| Percent of associates participating last year | |
| Percent of partners participating last year | |
| Percent of other lawyers participating last year | |
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Average hours |
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| Average hours per associate last year | |
| Average hours per partner last year | |
| Average hours per other lawyer last year | |
| What percentage of attorneys performed more than 20 hours? | |
| What was the number of actual pro bono hours contributed by the organization in the prior calendar year? | |
| Does the organization maintain a written pro bono policy that sets forth the organization's commitment to pro bono? | |
| How does the organization define what constitutes pro bono legal work? | |
| Does the organization set annual goals regarding the minimum number of pro bono hours to be contributed by the organization? | No |
| Does the organization set individual attorney goals regarding the minimum number of pro bono hours to be contributed? | No |
| Is an attorney's commitment to pro bono activity considered a favorable factor in advancement and compensation decisions? | |
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Pro bono support services |
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| Are full-time support services (word processing, online research Lexis/Westlaw, out of pocket costs) available for pro bono representation? | Yes |
| If so, are there any limitations? | |
| Are associates provided written evaluations of their work on pro bono matters? | |
| Does the organization employ one or more of the following structures to manage its pro bono program and to provide training and guidance to participating attorneys? (Check all that apply): | |
| How is pro bono work assigned/distributed? | |
| If an attorney is permitted to bring a pro bono case for possible consideration by the firm, who makes decisions about whether the firm will handle the matter? (check all that apply) | |
| Does the organization provide any of the following to enable its attorneys to participate in pro bono activities or work in a public interest setting? (Check all that apply): | |
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Summer associate pro bono opportunities |
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| Are pro bono opportunities available for summer associates? | Yes |
| Additional comments (Please use this space to provide any additional information about your organization's pro bono program including any special recognition or awards the organization has received for its pro bono work.) |
The firm received a 2011 Super Lawyers Pro Bono Award, in addition to other honors and recognition, for its work in In re Balas, 449 B.R. 567 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2011), in which the firm obtained a ruling signed by twenty judges that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. http://www.superlawyers.com/about/pro_bono_award_recipients.html. In addition, the firm represented Marlene Penrod in appeals to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court from her consumer bankruptcy case. See AmeriCredit Fin. Servs. v. Penrod, 132 S. Ct. 108 (2011); AmeriCredit Fin. Servs. v. Penrod (In re Penrod), 636 F.3d 1175 (9th Cir. 2011); AmeriCredit Fin. Servs. v. Penrod (In re Penrod), 611 F.3d 1158 (9th Cir. 2010). |
| What are some of the areas in which your organization has performed pro bono work in the past year? |
See above. |
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Fellowship sponsorship |
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| Does your organization sponsor split public interest summer and/or post-graduate fellowships? | |
| Public Interest Fellowship Comments | |