The results of Volunteers of Legal Service’s survey of pro bono efforts in New York City in 2012 are in. Forty-two law firms that take the VOLS Pro Bono Pledge reported that lawyers in their New York City offices volunteered a total of 928,981 hours, a value of approximately $280 million in donated legal fees. On average, lawyers at these firms volunteered 75 hours each during 2012.
For thousands of low-income New Yorkers, these courageous pro bono volunteers stopped evictions, won government benefits such as Social Security and Medicaid, resolved immigration problems, enforced civil rights, and litigated complex, high-impact class action for people who could not otherwise afford representation. VOLS salutes their efforts to achieve equal justice under law.
