Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

Transcription

1 Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP th Street Suite 2200 Denver, CO Phone: (303) bhfs.com locations Albuquerque, NM Atlantic City, NJ Carson City, NV Colorado Springs, CO Denver, CO Las Vegas, NV Los Angeles, CA Orange County, CA Phoenix, AZ Reno, NV Sacramento, CA San Diego, CA Santa Barbara, CA Washington, DC THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 250 No. of Offices: 14 Co-Managing Partner: Adam Agron Co-Managing Partner: Ellen Schulhofer EMPLOYMENT CONTACT Jamie Olberding Attorney Recruiter Phone: (303) MAJOR DEPARTMENTS & PRACTICES Corporate & Business Energy, Environment and Resource Strategies Gaming Law Government Relations Intellectual Property Litigation Natural Resources Real Estate 64

2 Who s Who Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or partners? If so, how many? 1 Please provide a general description of how much of their time each of your pro bono coordinators and/or partners spends on pro bono work and/or administering the firm s pro bono program (e.g., less than half of their time, more than half of their time, all of their time). Our Pro Bono Partner spends approximately 80% of her time on pro bono work and administering the firm s pro bono program. Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s) s information below. Lauren Schmidt Pro Bono Partner Phone: (303) [email protected] Does the firm have a pro bono committee? How often does the committee meet? Every other month. Please describe the composition of the committee. The firm s Pro Bono Committee is made up of a mix of shareholders and associates from multiple offices. Every major office has at least one representative on the committee. THE SCOOP Does your firm have a pro bono policy? Can associates bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm? How does the firm decide whether to take on a pro bono matter? The firm s Pro Bono Partner evaluates each new matter to determine whether the matter falls under the firm s pro bono policy. The policy is consistent with ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1. If the matter qualifies as pro bono and the firm is not conflicted, we will generally take it, subject to an additional evaluation of out-of-pocket costs for larger matters. Has the firm signed on to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge? What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has performed pro bono legal work since 2012? Asylum, Bankruptcy, Civil rights, Community economic development, Consumer law and small claims court, Death penalty defense, Domestic violence, Education, Elder law, Employment, Environment, Fair housing/tenants rights, Family law, First Amendment and constitutional issues, Homeless advocacy, Immigration, Nonprofit corporate law, Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions, Nonprofit intellectual property, Prisoners rights, Public benefits, Real estate transactions, The arts and historic preservation, Veterans benefits/appeals, Voting rights Are there areas of law in which, as a matter of policy or practice, your firm does not perform pro bono work? Indigent criminal defense. List up to 10 of your firm s pro bono clients or partners since 2012, including legal service providers or clearinghouses. American Bar Association (Death Penalty Representation Project / Military Pro Bono Project) Colorado Lawyers Committee Colorado Legal Services (including Denver Metro Volunteer Lawyers) Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Santa Barbara Legal Aid Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado Volunteer Lawyers Program of Maricopa County List up to three representative examples of your firm s pro bono matters since Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. Brownstein s Denver office participates in numerous Colorado Lawyers Committee initiatives and received the CLC s Law Firm of the Year Award in In addition to leading or supporting CLC litigation efforts, Brownstein attorneys participate in monthly low-income legal clinics, staff the annual Project Homeless Connect and Homeless Court, and serve multiple nonprofits through the CLC s Nonprofit Working Group. Brownstein attorneys and staff dedicated over 600 hours to Colorado Lawyers Committee matters in Brownstein s Las Vegas office represents abused and neglected children through the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Children s Attorneys Project. These attorneys volunteer their time to give a voice to children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect. Brownstein attorneys dedicated over 650 hours to the Children s Attorneys Project in Brownstein attorneys represent numerous nonprofit organizations on a pro bono basis, often as outside general counsel. Our attorneys provided pro bono services to over 80 nonprofits in Our nonprofit partners include Direct Relief International, Food Bank of the Rockies, Habitat for Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. 65

3 66 Humanity of Metro Denver, the Colorado Outward Bound School, and the Discovery Children s Museum in Las Vegas. List up to three pro bono matters that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. Brownstein partnered with the Migrant Farm Worker Division of Colorado Legal Services in a civil suit on behalf of four Peruvian migrant sheepherders. The migrant workers came to Colorado under H-2A visas to work at a sheep ranch, where they were subjected to abusive treatment and multiple violations of their employment contracts. Colorado Legal Services filed a civil suit on the migrant workers behalf for labor violations, tort claims, and violations of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The case settled in the pre-trial phase and the herders now have legal T visa status, which ensures federal protection and benefits for human trafficking victims. Brownstein represented the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara in the Society s effort to obtain a land use permit for a new mosque in Goleta, California. The mosque was controversial with local residents. The firm s attorneys and land use planners successfully represented the Islamic Society before the city council and obtained the required entitlements for the new mosque. Brownstein represented the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado in a challenge to the Colorado Department of Corrections refusal to release Colorado s revised lethal injection protocol. The ACLU sought documents related to the execution procedure, including Colorado s lethal injection protocol. CDOC refused to provide access to these documents under the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act. The court determined that CODC abused its discretion and ordered public disclosure of the lethal injection protocol. The Colorado ACLU case has helped to lay the groundwork for similar lawsuits across the country contesting states efforts to shield their lethal injection procedures from disclosure. BY THE NUMBERS What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your U.S. office(s) spent performing pro bono legal services, as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, in 2012 and 2013? Do not include summer associate or non-lawyer pro bono hours in your answers. Total number of pro bono hours in 2012: 7,885 Total number of pro bono hours in 2013: 8,512 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s U.S. offices? Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2012: 216 Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2013: 223 Using the number of attorneys listed above, what is the average number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm s U.S. office(s) during the following years? Average number of hours per attorney in 2012: 37 Average number of hours per attorney in 2013: 38 What percentage of attorneys employed during 2012 and 2013 in your firm s U.S. office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono during that calendar year? Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2012: 51 60% Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2013: 41 50% SUPERVISION AND EVALUATIONS Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters? Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates work on pro bono matters? No Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? What is the requirement and to whom does it apply? All attorneys, including partners and associates, are expected to do pro bono work. The firm does not have a specific pro bono hours requirement but encourages all attorneys to complete at least 50 pro bono hours per year. Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work? Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? What is the maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? 100 Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? We encourage our associates to attend formal training sessions through pro bono providers or to train themselves, with or without partner supervision, as necessary. We also provide in-house training sessions on specific pro bono initiatives. All training time on pro bono matters counts toward an associate s pro bono hours.

4 Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters? Please indicate how many total hours and average hours per person your summer associates spent performing pro bono in 2012 and Total hours summer associates spent on pro bono work 2012: : 370 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work 2012: : 53 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work 2012: 100% 2013: 100% Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates. The firm trains our summer associates about our pro bono program and encourages them to take at least one pro bono project during the summer. Our summer associates are exposed to a wide range of ongoing pro bono matters throughout the firm. We also have an annual partnership with the Anti-Defamation League to pair summer associates with pro bono research projects. Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting? No What other law-related public interest and community service programs (that are not pro bono as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge) do you offer and manage? For example, list any law school collaborations and public interest scholarships, auctions at law schools, monetary support, or fellowships. In addition to financial contributions to local legal aid organizations, we also have many attorneys who sit on the board of these non-profit organizations. We support legal education through scholarship donations and mentorship programs. Our Pro Bono Partner, Lauren Schmidt, is also a member of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission and co-chairs a network of law firm pro bono coordinators in Colorado. What non-law related volunteer opportunities does your firm offer? For example, list any work with high school students and non-legal volunteerism for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Brownstein supported more than 300 nonprofit organizations in 2013 through donations, sponsorships, board service, and other Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. volunteer efforts. Here is a sample of the diverse organizations we supported: Alliance for Choice in Education American Transplant Foundation Anti-Defamation League Arizona Science Center Clayton Early Learning Colorado Symphony DayBreak Day Center & Shelter Direct Relief Discovery Children s Museum Food Bank of the Rockies Freedom Service Dogs Girls Inc. Habitat for Humanity Horton s Kids Jewish Family ServiceLeukemia & Lymphoma Society Museum of Contemporary Art Denver Outward Bound Project Angel Heart Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Sansum Diabetes Research Institute Special Olympics Stand for Children Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation Three Square Food Bank Unity Shoppe Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won since 2012 for its pro bono work. 2012: Colorado Lawyers Committee Outstanding Sustained Contribution Award awarded to Lawrence Treece 2012: Recipient of the ABA Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award for work in Santa Barbara 2012: Kate Lowenhar-Fisher (Las Vegas) featured in the ABA Journal for commitment to pro bono work : Recognized by the Colorado Supreme Court for meeting the Court s challenge to provide an average of 50 pro bono hours per Colorado attorney : Recognized by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada for our commitment to the Children s Attorneys Project 2013: Recipient of the Colorado Lawyers Committee Law Firm of the Year Award 67

5 2013: Recipient of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County Richard Goldman Hero for Justice Award 2014: Recipient of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Colorado Chapter Pro Bono Service Award Please add any additional information about your firm s pro bono program. Providing pro bono legal help to underserved organizations and individuals is a priority at Brownstein. In 2013, our attorneys and paralegals contributed more than 10,000 hours of pro bono services the most annual pro bono work in the firm s history. Over 65 percent of our attorneys participated, including 90 percent of our associates. Pro bono, like community service, has become a part of the firm s culture and has enduring and positive benefits for our own practices and for the communities we serve. As a participant in the Colorado Supreme Court Pro Bono Legal Service Commitment and Recognition Program, we provided an average of over 50 hours of pro bono service per Colorado attorney during 2012 and In 2014, we expanded our commitment to all of our offices by signing the Pro Bono Institute s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge. Brownstein encourages associates to go beyond the 50-hour commitment and allows associates to count up to 100 pro bono hours toward billable requirements each fiscal year. Pro bono opportunities are carefully aligned with both the firm s expertise and our employees desire to make a significant positive impact on the locales where they live and work. Our pro bono partner, Lauren Schmidt, devotes the majority of her time to running, strengthening, and promoting our pro bono program. In addition to identifying and assisting with pro bono matters, the Pro Bono Partner increases participation in the pro bono program, facilitates pro bono opportunities for all of our attorneys, and helps align individual attorneys skill sets and passions with appropriate pro bono opportunities. 68