American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award 2010

Bryan Cave will be honored with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Pro Bono Publico Award for 2010. The award, which will be presented Aug. 9 at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco, is being given to the firm for its ongoing commitment to pro bono work.

“We have a special obligation to make our professional skills and other resources available to those who cannot afford to pay for legal services,” said Don G. Lents, Bryan Cave’s chairman. “Hopefully, this award will draw attention to the need for pro bono legal representation for low-income and disadvantaged individuals and families and nonprofit groups.”

Bryan Cave has a long history of commitment to pro bono efforts. Attorneys in the firm’s U.S. offices spent nearly 47,000 hours in 2009 performing pro bono legal services, up from a little over 36,000 hours in 2008.

“The number of hours we spend on pro bono matters has risen greatly,” Lents said. “More significant than the amount of time, however, is the impact of our work.”

Bryan Cave provides pro bono legal services across a varied range of issues and approaches this volunteer work with creative strategies and teamwork. The firm has recently focused much of its pro bono efforts helping families and communities overcome considerable hardships and legal obstacles. Bryan Cave has handled cases that reunited families, revitalized neighborhoods and kept families in their homes.

The Pro Bono Publico Award is given annually to five individual lawyers or law firms that have enhanced the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to persons of limited means and the organizations that serve them. To be considered for the award, candidates may be nominated by third parties or may nominate themselves. Bryan Cave was nominated by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and was supported by a number of other pro bono organizations the firm has assisted through the years.

“In a time when grim economic circumstances have rendered more and more people in need of legal assistance just to preserve their most basic rights, Bryan Cave’s consistent willingness to provide critical pro bono services has been exemplary and makes them a very worthy recipient of this prestigious award,” said Daniel K. Glazier, executive director and general counsel of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

Award Video:
www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/pbp_awards/bryan_cave_web.wmv