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Pro Bono

Hanson Bridgett encourages its attorneys to provide service to the community as a part of their professional responsibility, as members of the bar and more importantly to contribute to those in need. The firm leadership is committed to providing legal services to the communities it serves and embraces what it sees as its obligation to provide pro bono legal counsel to worthy causes. We also believe that the establishment and maintenance of an organized, firm-sponsored pro bono program is critical to supporting and enabling our attorneys to develop a robust pro bono practice.

Pro bono work is an integral part of our practice. Last year, over 50 percent of our total legal staff members (attorneys and paralegals) participated in pro bono matters. As a concrete investment in our pro bono program, the firm credits up to 150 pro bono hours to each associate's total billable hour requirement and the firm contributes financially to all of our referral organizations.

Our pro bono program focuses on the representation of individuals, organizations and businesses that cannot readily afford the cost of legal representation. Our attorneys' expertise and commitment enable us to handle a wide range of pro bono litigation and transactional matters comprehensively and compassionately.

Pro Bono Recognition

Everett Middle School. Hanson Bridgett was named School Partner of the Year for our work with the Everett Middle School. This award is in recognition of the close partnership we have had this year with Everett to help their students succeed. It is also a tribute to the innovation, devotion and commitment of our Hanson Bridgett volunteers. Hanson Bridgett volunteers provided weekly tutoring to two classes for newcomers to the English language. In addition, our volunteers led a weekly boys mentoring group for at risk students. All nine students in this group graduated to high school, an amazing achievement. Under the leadership of a new principal, Richard Curci, Everett has improved their graduation percentage this year to 85% and was nominated for School of the Year.
Children's Advocacy Award. Hanson Bridgett Associate Paul Gruwell, received a Pro Bono Advocate award from Legal Services for Children (LSC) at their annual Children's Advocacy Awards luncheon. Paul was honored with this award for his work successfully representing children in school expulsion hearings. LSC was one of the first non-profit law firms in the country to provide free legal representation and social work services to children and youth. Please click on the link for more on the award ceremony.
James T. Caleshu Award. In February 2009, Hanson Bridgett Partner Allison C. Schutte received the James T. Caleshu Award, which honors attorneys who have made an extraordinary pro bono contribution to the Lawyers' Committee Legal Services for Entrepreneurs Program (LSE). Schutte is a long-time volunteer with LSE and serves on the steering committee, including as co-chair for two years. She first started working with the program more than eight years ago, and through the years, has played a role in developing program policies, identifying and securing funding, and transitioning LSE into an established program with more than 35 law firms serving as volunteers.
Benito Juarez Human Rights Award for Outstanding Service to HIV Immigrant Community. Hanson Bridgett Associate Steven Miller was recognized by the Aids Legal Referral Panel (ALRP) for his work on behalf of immigrants and asylees. This award was created to recognize medical/social service organizations, law firms and immigration attorneys that have worked with ALRP's immigrant and asylee clients. It is named for Benito Juarez, a progressive lawyer, judge, and the first indigenous President of Mexico.
California Lawyer Angel Awards. Hanson Bridgett Associate Jill Cartwright was one of 16 attorneys in the state to receive an Angel Award from California Lawyer magazine for her pro bono work with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR) in San Francisco. Jill has been volunteering with the organization since she was a paralegal and currently serves as Hanson Bridgett's LCCR liaison to recruit volunteers to handle cases at the clinic.

Some examples of our work include:

Winning Affirmative Asylum. We prevailed in an affirmative asylum claim for a domestic violence survivor who fled to the United States from Mexico after an abusive 22-year marriage. Because our client had missed the one-year filing deadline by several years, and because domestic violence survivors from Mexico are not often granted asylum cases, the case presented challenges. Five months after taking the case, our client's asylum application was granted. With the help of our attorneys, our client is now in the process of applying for legal status for her minor children and will be eligible to apply for a green card in one year. She has also been granted the right to work in the United States.
Representing Tenants Facing Evictions. We represented a Vietnam veteran who faced eviction from a HUD-subsidized apartment after the death of his wife left him with sole custody of her six-year-old daughter. The lawsuit centered on the interpretation of HUD guidelines and federal regulations. After we negotiated with the housing cooperative for a protracted period of time, we were able to settle the case on the eve of the trial. Our client was not evicted and was allowed to stay in the apartment with his daughter.
Helping to Promote Sustainability. We assisted a solar power nonprofit organization file for tax-exempt status. Solar Richmond is a nonprofit organization committed to bringing green collar jobs to the economically depressed East Bay and to promoting the widespread adoption of solar power.
Supporting Incarceration and Rehabilitative Services. We assisted the Service League of San Mateo County on a purchase offer for a real estate transaction. The Service League helps inmates and former inmates re-enter the community as contributing citizens and responsible family members, and provides a variety of programs, services, and support networks.
Upholding Students' Civil Rights. We represented an East Bay high school student in a school expulsion proceeding. The student had good grades and promising plans for college, but was starting to drift off track. After meeting with the student, his father, and a representative from the school district, we were able to get this young man back in the classroom and focused on his educational goals.

Hanson Bridgett's creditable hour pro bono policy is not limited to matters provided by the organizations named above. Our attorneys have participated in numerous other pro bono activities. For example, among other things, the firm participated in Fred Korematsu's petition to vacate his 1942 conviction. See Korematsu v. United States, 584 F.Supp. 1406 (N.D. Cal. 1984). Also, we participated with the ACLU as amici before the United States Supreme Court in a challenge to the constitutionality of Arizona's "English-only" constitutional initiative. Other examples of pro bono services reflect the individual interests of our attorneys and include activities on behalf of the independence of the judiciary; representation of the Lamplighters, the Traveling Jewish Theatre and the Black Coalition of AIDS; litigation concerning patients' rights, environmental issues and historic building preservation; participation in the Asian American Bar Association Legal Clinic (hosted by the Asian Law Caucus); and participation on the Bar Association of San Francisco AIDS, Immigration and Homeless Advocacy panels.