As part of this year’s Pro Bono Scorecard, we selected 15 matters that represent the very best of the legal industry’s pro bono efforts in 2022. These examples below demonstrate Big Law’s capacity to make a difference in the lives of their pro bono clients and demonstrate the breadth of the work these firms handle.

Michelle Peterson, from Silver Spring, Maryland, stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in support of abortion rights in the wake of a leaked draft opinion that suggests the Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

In the wake of the overturning of Roe V. Wade, countless groups across the United States have been working to mitigate the effects of the Supreme Court’s revocation of a Constitutional right. In Florida, a bill enforcing a 15-week abortion ban went into effect on July 1, even after Jenner & Block challenged the bill with a lawsuit that resulted in a court order blocking the abortion ban. The ban remains in place for the time being due to the state appealing; however, the Florida Supreme Court has accepted a request by abortion providers to hear arguments. In the meantime, lawyers around the country are dealing with the ramifications of Dobbs v. Jackson in various other ways. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison partnered with the New York Attorney General and several advocacy groups and firms to ensure individuals and health care providers know their rights. Among their efforts, they established a reproductive rights hotline, which mirrored efforts in other states. In Massachusetts, for example, Goulston & Storrs started an abortion legal hotline that provides pro bono support for health care providers, patients and helpers. Additionally, the firm provided critical legal analysis and other support in the development of the ROE Act, which passed last summer. The act protected medical providers and identified areas in the state with a lack of access to pregnancy care.

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