2017 Award Recipient: Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
2017 PRO BONO AWARD PRESENTER:
Kenneth C. Frazier, the CEO of Merck & Co., presented the Award to his former firm at the Access to Justice Benefit.
OUR 2017 HONOREE: DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP was selected to receive the Pro Bono Award of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation for its thousands of hours of pro bono service and investment of time and dedication from its attorneys in providing direct service through legal aid agencies. Pro bono service is part of who they are and what they do, every day. Recognizing their efforts is a testament to their example of excellence in the legal community.
They fight for the lives of inmates on death row. They counsel small non-profit organizations on their legal rights and responsibilities. They represent tenants who are wrongly evicted, victims of domestic violence and child abuse and immigrant children facing deportation. They counsel budding artists, teach inner city high school students about the law, champion animal welfare and serve the homeless. All while writing the blueprint on the delivery of pro bono legal services.
Here are quotes commending the pro bono efforts of the firm:
“We encourage our lawyers to dedicate themselves and their considerable talents to causes that matter to them, and to those who would otherwise be voiceless. We are proud of the passion and focus our lawyers demonstrate when undertaking this commendable work, and are extremely grateful to the Philadelphia Bar Foundation for this meaningful recognition.” - Andrew C. Kassner, Chairman and CEO of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.
"The firm's commitment to, and encouragement of, pro bono service has been consistently strong over the years: the Philadelphia office has averaged 7,800 hours of pro bono service in each of the last four years. This is not just a question of hours; it was what Drinker Biddle has done with this investment that is especially impressive." - Jennifer R. Clarke, Esq., Executive Director of the Public Interest Law Center.