Law360 Names Arnold & Porter to Its 2016 'Pro Bono Law Firms of the Year' List

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 28, 2016 -- Arnold & Porter LLP has been named to Law360's list of "Pro Bono Firms of 2016" for its celebrated "commitment to helping those in need." The firm was also named to the list in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Decades after Arnold & Porter helped establish every criminal defendant's right to counsel in Gideon v. Wainwright, the publication said, the firm should be recognized once again for several noteworthy cases, including its defense of Planned Parenthood against fetal-tissue sale allegations as well as its victories for an innocent man on death row and mentally ill defendants facing lengthy jail time before trial. Dan Cantor, the firm's pro bono committee chairperson, told Law360 the firm channels its tradition of helping those most in need of legal assistance, including the poor, disenfranchised and penniless, while reflecting modern issues facing the country. "Since the founding of the firm, it's been part of our core set of values ... to make sure that we are dedicating a portion of our time to those who have significant legal needs but who can't afford legal representation," he said.

One of the firm's pro bono cases cited was led by Amy Bomse who advocated on behalf of the Planned Parenthood in its California suit against an anti-abortion group, which had posted videos purporting to show the non-profit's improperly selling fetal tissue. Another highlighted example of Arnold & Porter's pro bono commitment was Ryan Guild's taking the lead in helping to overturn the death sentence of Jimmy Dennis, a Pennsylvania man who had spent 25 years behind bars after being wrongly convicted of a high school girl's murder, largely on the strength of exonerating evidence withheld by the prosecution and despite an alibi witness. In addition, the editors recognized David Gersch as lead class counsel and teaming up with the ACLU to broker a deal to reduce Pennsylvania's lengthy detention of mentally ill defendants who had been found by a court to be incompetent to stand trial, including a schizophrenic homeless man who was detained for 340 days after stealing three Peppermint Patties.