Pro Bono and community
Our mission and vision: making a difference
BCLP has a special obligation to make our professional skills available on a pro bono basis to address the needs of the underserved and to advocate for the protection of human rights, civil rights and liberties, and public rights.
We also contribute other firm resources to meaningfully engage with the communities local to our offices throughout the world, through community volunteering, support and philanthropic giving, encouraging colleagues throughout our firm to take an active part in these initiatives. To see what we do in each of the local communities where we operate, please visit our office location pages.
Pro bono
Background
BCLP’s pro bono work reflects the varied and passionate interests of our people. Many of the firm’s pro bono matters originate with specific requests from our lawyers. Our pro bono work can involve assisting individual clients or working on innovative projects and initiatives. In either instance, firm lawyers often find themselves working alongside lawyers from legal services organizations, public interest firms, or clients with whom we partner on pro bono work.
Each year BCLP lawyers and other professionals contribute thousands of hours in hundreds of pro bono matters providing legal representation essential to our clients and their unique legal needs. Currently the firm supports four fellowship programs in the US: the Concordance Academy Fellows Program; the Midwest Innocence Project Fellows Program; the BCLP Legal Aid Chicago Fellowship; and the BCLP Atlanta Legal Aid Fellowship.
BCLP stays informed about evolving trends in the world of law firm pro bono. We're a member of the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project and a proud Charter Signatory to its Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, as well as a member of the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono.
Our 2025 Pro bono report
Our 2025 Pro Bono Report offers a more in-depth review of notable pro bono work undertaken by the firm last year. Our global pro bono program prioritizes offering legal services that address the needs of the underserved and advocate for civil rights, human rights, civil liberties and public rights.
Recent notable headlines
BCLP Team Secures Landmark Victory for Innocent Death Row Prisoner
A longtime BCLP Atlanta team secured a precedent-making victory for pro bono client, Jimmie “Chris” Duncan, with the Louisiana Supreme Court upholding the 2025 trial court order vacating his wrongful capital conviction based on the evidence of factual innocence uncovered by BCLP over the last 10 years.
Supporting survivors of sex-trafficking through the Backpage Remission Project
Awards and Accolades
BCLP was named a 2026 Beacon of Justice honoree by the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) in recognition of its pro bono work in 2025. The award recognizes law firms that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to equal justice through pro bono service.
The Windrush Legal Initiative (where BCLP collaborates with seven other firms and the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit) was highly commended in the Best Pro Bono Partnership category of the 2025 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards as well as shortlisted for a pro bono award in the inaugural Legal 500 ESG awards 2024, the Lawyer awards 2023 and the British Legal awards 2023.
In recognition of our long-standing commitment to pro bono criminal justice work, BCLP has been honored with the Champion of Justice award in the law firm category at the 2025 Amicus Champions of Justice Awards.
Partners Charles Weiss and Jonathan Potts were recognized with the Midwest Innocence Project’s Freedom Award in 2025 for their long-standing commitment to justice and advocacy on behalf of the wrongfully convicted. Together, they have represented and supported exonerees for more than a decade.
Barbara Smith Tyson was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2025 class of Most Influential Businesswomen, an honor awarded to just 25 women across the region. Barbara, the only honoree from a law firm, was recognized in large part for her significant leadership in pro-bono and public‑interest work.
In 2025, Curtis Romig was named one of the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta’s Volunteers of the Year, an honor recognizing exceptional commitment to the organization and its nonprofit clients.
Related Pages
-
About BCLP
-
Inclusion and diversity enables the firm to succeed
-
Responsible Business
-
Our Environment
-
Media Inquiries