“If an obscure Florida convict named Clarence Earl Gideon had not sat down in prison with a pencil and paper to write a letter to the Supreme Court, and if the court had not taken the trouble to look for merit in that one crude petition…the vast machinery of American law would have gone on functioning undisturbed. But Gideon did write that letter, the court did look into his case…and the whole course of legal history has been changed. I know of few better examples than that of a democratic principle in action.” - Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy

What Pro Bono Means to Us

Pro bono has been a core value of Arnold & Porter since our founding. In our early years, firm lawyers represented Clarence Earl Gideon in the seminal Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, establishing the right of criminal defendants to counsel. Ensuring equal access to justice regardless of the ability to pay remains central to who we are today. Our lawyers around the globe continue to build on our firm’s pro bono legacy of working for the public good by delivering extensive pro bono services to our communities.

100K+
Total Pro Bono Hours (2024)