The State Bar of Michigan has announced the 2014 Pro Bono Circle of Excellence, which recognizes every firm that fully complied with the State Bar Voluntary Pro Bono Standard during the 2013 calendar year.
Both volunteer legal services for low-income individuals and organizations and financial support for eligible nonprofit organizations providing free civil legal aid for the poor are included in the Voluntary Pro Bono Standard. More specifically, the Pro Bono Standard calls for lawyers to annually take three pro bono cases, devote at least 30 hours of pro bono service, or make a monetary contribution to a legal aid provider organization. Contributions through the Access to Justice Fund for eligible legal aid programs or to the statewide ATJ Fund Endowment count toward fulfilling the Voluntary Pro Bono Standard.
“Lawyers have a unique ethical responsibility to support legal services for the poor, and the law firms recognized today in the 2014 Circle of Excellence are our leaders in this important obligation,” said SBM Executive Director Janet Welch.
The Voluntary Pro Bono Standard was amended in 2011 to increase the annual financial contribution from $300 to $500 for those whose income allows a higher contribution. Due to this change, the Circle of Excellence includes two tiers of recognition. The Excellence Level recognizes law firms of two or more attorneys with a per attorney average of contributions of 30 hours of pro bono service or $300 in financial donations. The Leadership Level recognizes law firms (in bold below) of two or more attorneys with a per attorney average of contributions of 30 hours of pro bono service or $500 in financial donations.
These entities have demonstrated full compliance with the Voluntary Pro Bono Standard adopted by the Representative Assembly in 1990. Full compliance is demonstrated through the provision of pro bono services rendered collectively through donations of reduced-fee or no-fee work, financial contributions to legal aid programs eligible to receive funding from the Access to Justice Fund, or a combination of the two. Most firms and corporations listed have a pro bono policy in place that includes encouragement of the provision of pro bono practice by all attorneys affiliated with these firms and corporations as well as documentation of such activities, which are reported to the State Bar of Michigan. Each firm listed has demonstrated that all attorneys employed by the firm collectively met the Standard in calendar year 2013.
On average, each attorney has contributed at least 30 hours of counsel or representation to low-income individuals and families or to organizations that provide legal services, or has donated at least $300 to a nonprofit program organized to deliver civil legal services to low-income individuals. The Voluntary Standard was recently amended to increase the annual financial contribution from $300 to $500 for those whose income allows a higher contribution.
Note: Circle of Excellence data is based on a calendar year to better align with the Access to Justice Fund. Applications for the 2015 Circle, celebrating pro bono participation for calendar year 2014, will be available in March 2015.
LARGE FIRMS:
Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker, PLLC
Bodman PLC
Butzel Long
Clark Hill PLC
Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, PC
Dickinson Wright PLLC
Dykema Gossett PLLC
Foley & Lardner LLP
Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP
Hooper, Hathaway, Price, Beuche & Wallace, PC
Howard & Howard
Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, PC
Kerr, Russell and Weber, PLC
Law Weathers
Miller Canfield PLC
Miller Johnson
Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels, PC
Pepper Hamilton LLP
Price Heneveld LLP
Rhoades McKee PC
Sinas, Dramis, Brake, Boughton & McIntyre, PC
Thrun Law Firm, PC
Varnum LLP
Warner Norcross & Judd LLP
Willingham & Coté, PC
SMALL FIRMS:
Adler Stilman PLLC
Alane & Chartier, PLC
Bos & Glazier
Buckles & Buckles, PLC
Center for Civil Justice
Curtis & Curtis PC
Domorsky and Wright, PLLC
Garris, Garris, Garris & Garris, PC
Hubbell DuVall PLC
Kanji & Katzen PLLC
Kessler Mullkoff & Hooberman
McGarry Bair PC
Donald E. McGinnis Jr., PC
Mall Malisow & Cooney, PC
Muth Law PC
Nacht Roumel Salvatore Blanchard & Walker PC
Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach & Buiteweg, PC
Osstyn Ferns & Quinnell LLP
Parsons Law Firm PLC
Pinsky Smith Fayette & Kennedy LLP
Pitt McGehee Palmer Rivers & Golden PC
Schmick Law Offices, PC
Siegel Gross & Tou PC
Soble Rowe & Krichbaum
Thomas, Garvey, Garvey & Sciotti, PLLC
Willis Law
Zivian & Zwickl
CORPORATION:
Ford Motor Company
