Michael Best is proud to be recognized by The American Lawyer (July 2007) as one of the top 25 U.S. law firms, and the highest ranked Wisconsin-based law firm, for pro bono work in 2007. Click here to view a press release regarding this ranking.

Michael Best and its attorneys recognize their obligation as members of the legal profession to strengthen the communities in which we work and live. Since its inception 160 years ago, Michael Best has served charitable and civic groups designed to help persons and organizations of limited means. We realize that our attorneys can make a difference not only in high-profile, landmark cases, but also in helping the wide array of organizations that impact our lives in small ways on a daily basis. Click here to learn about a recent pro bono case in which Michael Best truly made a difference.

When the Pro Bono Institute challenged all U.S. law firms to commit to dedicating more time to pro bono clients in 1993, Michael Best agreed to meet this challenge and gladly stepped up to the test. Since becoming a charter signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, we have donated over three percent of our annual billable hours to pro bono work each year. Last year alone, we contributed over 12,500 pro bono hours. Click here to learn more about how Michael Best helps build stronger communities through its pro bono commitment to pro bono services.

Michael Best is a proud member of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, which calls upon Lex Mundi’s global network of 160 top-tier commercial law firms to provide free legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the world. The Foundation also acts to strengthen the rule of law by organizing teams of experts from Lex Mundi’s member firms to help design and implement selected reform projects. Recent examples of the Foundation’s projects include developing an intellectual property rights strategy for a Columbian social entrepreneur who wishes to distribute educational products throughout South America and working on a children’s rural poverty program based in the Netherlands to develop a roll out of new programs in 15 developing countries. Click here to view a pdf of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono brochure.

Michael Best has created two annual awards, named after senior partners of the firm, to recognize members of the firm who undertake significant and meaningful pro bono work and community service work during the course of the year. These awards include a donation by the firm on behalf of the award recipients to a charity of his or her choice.

As stated by U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. over 40 years ago:

... in the final analysis the obligation rests on the individual lawyer, whatever may currently be his position within the profession, whether he is in a large or small firm or is an individual practitioner, to devote himself, however it may be possible, to some project involving the public interest. Every lawyer should have at any given time, I think, at least one public service project to which he is in some manner actively devoting his professional ability. Brennan, "The Responsibilities of the Legal Profession," 54 A.B.A.J. 121, 122 (1968) (from an address delivered at The Harvard Law School).

Michael Best and its attorneys agree with this conclusion and believe that pro bono work is an essential element of our everyday practice. For a recent article highlighting our Pro Bono efforts within the community, please click here.

If you would like more information on our Pro Bono program, please contact one of the Co-Chairs of our Pro Bono Committee, Grant Killoran at 414.225.2745, or gckilloran@michaelbest.com, or Ian Pitz at 608.283.0107, or iapitz@michaelbest.com.