Milbank has an outstanding tradition of performing work pro bono publico, and a record of public service that spans centuries. In addition to rendering important pro bono services to needy individuals and to charitable organizations, many of our lawyers have held significant leadership positions in the organized bar and government. We encourage all our attorneys to engage in public service activities.
We were the first major New York law firm to appoint a partner, Joseph Genova, to serve as the Director of Public Service. All pro bono activities are approved by the Director of Public Service, and coordinated through him and through Anthony Perez Cassino, the Assistant Director of Public Service.
In 1993, the Firm accepted the American Bar Association's Law Firm Challenge and pledged to devote a number of hours to pro bono work equal to at least three percent of our billable time. We maintain relationships with organizations (such as the Legal Aid Society) that refer worthy matters, and we encourage attorneys to suggest qualifying matters they feel could be handled by the Firm. Our pro bono work takes place in all of our domestic offices and some of the international offices as well, and includes many different types of work, from the representation of individuals and groups seeking to vindicate their rights to economic development projects designed to strike at the root causes of poverty.