Provide Pro Bono or Cy Près Support

Pro Bono

The victories the National Women’s Law Center has won on behalf of women and their families would not have been possible without the pro bono assistance that many organizations and individuals generously provide. 

NWLC depends upon pro bono and volunteer assistance from law firms, corporations, universities, and individuals. We welcome all legal backgrounds and skillsets and will work with you to place an appropriately matched pro bono or volunteer project – from research to intake assistance to comprehensive litigation opportunities. 

If you or your employer are interested in exploring pro bono opportunities, please reach out to Johnna Carey-Park, Pro Bono Senior Counsel, at [email protected] or contact [email protected]. We ask that you complete this Pro Bono Interest Survey which helps our staff understand how to best connect you with upcoming opportunities. 

Recognizing Our Pro Bono Partners

NWLC is grateful to our pro bono partners and we are proud to recognize our stellar partners in a variety of ways, like the NWLC Pro Bono Honor Roll and the Annual Pro Bono Impact Award. 

NWLC Pro Bono Honor Roll

The pro bono honor roll is a special designation only given to NWLC’s most exemplary pro bono partners. These partners have either taken on three or more discrete pro bono projects, given thirty hours or more of time to pro bono projects, or have provided ongoing pro bono counsel to the Law Center in this year alone!

2024 NWLC Pro Bono Honor Roll Honorees

• Arnold & Porter
• Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
• Debevoise & Plimpton 
• Fenwick & West LLP
• Hogan Lovells 
• Holland & Knight
  
• Jenner & Block
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Linklaters LLP 
• Perkins Coie
• Pillsbury 
• Ropes & Gray
• Quinn Emmanuel
• Sheppard Mullin 
• Sidley Austin 
• Simpson Thacher 
• Skadden 
• Sullivan & Cromwell
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• Willkie Farr

NWLC Annual Pro Bono Impact Award

On October 27, 2023, at the NWLC Gala, we expressed our sincerest gratitude to Hogan Lovells, our trusted pro bono partner who has been supporting us behind the scenes for over 15 years by awarding the first ever NWLC Annual Pro Bono Impact Award.  

Hogan’s partnership on a range of key cases has helped the Law Center demonstrate that women’s rights and trans rights are inextricably linked and leverage a unified effort to protect the lives and vulnerability of trans youth in our country, especially girls and women. 

NWLC is grateful to the following organizations recently providing pro bono support: 

*NWLC Pro Bono Honor Roll Honoree 

Access to Justice 

NWLC creates access to justice by housing two funds: the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and the Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund. There are also opportunities to become involved with the Law Center’s access to justice work through the Legal Network for Gender Equity and the Abortion Defense Network. 

Provide Cy Pres Support 

Cy Près is the legal doctrine that allows funds remaining after the distribution of a class action settlement to be given to a charitable organization (or more than one) whose mission dovetails with the original purpose of the case. Cy Près awards are an important source of funding for nonprofits and legal services, nurturing the growth of legal nonprofits serving marginalized communities. 

Under the Cy Près doctrine, courts can distribute these residual funds to appropriate charitable causes. While every case is different, individual counsel may nominate nonprofit organizations whose missions reflect the concerns of the case to receive unclaimed funds. In the event that Cy près funds are deemed appropriate for the National Women’s Law Center, our staff is available to assist in drafting the affidavit or letter to the court, making the case for the National Women’s Law Center to be designated a recipient. 

Thank you for considering the National Women’s Law Center as a nominee for a Cy Près award. If you have any questions about this giving option and/or whether the National Women’s Law Center might be an appropriate Cy Près recipient in a particular case, please contact Johnna Carey-Park, Pro Bono Senior Counsel, at [email protected].