The State Bar of Michigan has announced the 2014 Pro Bono Circle of Excellence, recognizing firms 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 of two or more attorneys with a per attorney average of contributions of 30 hours of pro bono service or $500 in financial donations.
The 2014 Pro Bono Circle of Excellence includes:
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 & Cote? PC
Small firms
Adler Stilman PLLC
Alane & Chartier PLC
The Law Office of Andrew S. Muth PC
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
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
Corporations
Ford Motor Co.
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