Beacon of Justice Award

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NLADA’s Beacon of Justice Awards honor members of the pro bono legal community who are tireless advocates for equal justice.

The 2024 Beacon of Justice Awards will feature law firms who are addressing issues related to CIVIL & HUMAN RIGHTS, for example, work with Afghan refugees, death penalty work, and resentencing of individuals as juveniles to life without parole. For more information on this year’s criteria click HERE and to submit an application click HERE.

The 2023 Beacon of Justice Awards featured law firms who addressed issues related to LGBTQ+ rights and/or gender-based equity issues that intersect with racial equity. The 2023 Beacon of Justice Award Honorees were:

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPBaker Hostetler LLPBaker McKenzieCrowell & Moring LLPDechert LLPDLA Piper LLP (US), Fried Frank LLPHanson Bridgett LLPKing & Spalding LLPKirkland & Ellis LLPKramer LevinLatham & Watkins LLPMcCarter & English LLPMintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky, and Popeo P.C., Nixon Peabody LLPRope & Gray LLPSkadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLPSteptoe & Johnson LLPWilmerHale, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Previous Beacon of Justice themes include: 

  • Work to address systemic racial disparities.
  • Pro Bono programs serving vulnerable people fleeing to the U.S. border
  • Expanding opportunities for the underserved in areas such as education, health care, housing, and legal services
  • Have innovative Public-Private Partnerships that Protect Equal Justice for All through Appellate Litigation
  • Made a Significant Impact in the Area of Immigration
  • Represented Disadvantaged Families in Foreclosure Proceedings
  • Representation to People on Death Row
  • Representation to Detainees at Guantanamo Bay

View the 2023 Beacon of Justice Book

Past Award Winners by Year

2022

The 2022 Beacon of Justice Awards honors law firms with pro bono programs whose work addressed racial inequities within their communities and/or on the national level in 2021.

Check out the digital book highlighting their work. 

Watch last year's Beacon of Justice Awardee videos, click HERE.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Baker McKenzie, Crowell & Moring LLP, Dechert LLP, Dentons US LLP, DLA Piper LLP (US), Hanson Bridgett LLP, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins LLP, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C., Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Stinson LLP, WilmerHale, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP. 

2021

The 2021 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms with pro bono programs whose work addressed systemic racial disparities in 2020. Check out the digital book highlighting their work. 

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP;  Arent Fox; Baker McKenzie; Crowell & Moring;  Debevoise & Plimpton; Dechert;  DLA Piper; Epstein Baker Green; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Goodwin Procter; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Kramer Levin; Latham & Watkins; Lowenstein Sandler LLP; Mintz; Morrison & Foerster LLP; O'Melveny & Myers LLP; Sheppard Mullin; Steptoe & Johnson LLP;  Stinson LLP; WilmerHale;  Wilson Sonsini and Zuckerman Spaeder.

2020

The 2020 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms with pro bono programs serving vulnerable people fleeing to the U.S. border. Check out the digital book highlighting their work. 

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Arent Fox; Cravath, Swine & Moore LLP; DLA Piper; Dorsey; Epstein Becker Green; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Lowenstein Sandler LLP; Mintz; Morrison & Foerster LLP; O'Melvney & Myers LLP; Orrick; Ropes & Gray LLP; Steptoe & Johnson LLP; Stinson LLP

2015

The 2015 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms for exceptional pro bono leadership. They have met the high expectations and criteria for selection by expanding opportunities for the underserved in areas such as education, health care, housing, and legal services.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; DLA Piper; Hunton & Williams; Jones Day; Lavelle Law, Ltd.; Morrison & Foerster; O'Melveny & Myers LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Phillips Lytle LLP; Stinson Leonard Street LLP 

2014

The 2014 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors law firms that have all devoted significant time and resources to creating and implementing innovative strategies to improve life outcomes for low income individuals.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, Briggs and Morgan, P.A., Callister Nebeker & McCullough, Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, Dechert LLP, DLA Piper, Fenwick & West LLP, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Kaye Scholer LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Locke Lord LLP, Lowenstein Sandler LLP, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Polsinelli, Quarles & Brady LLP, Robins, Kaplan, Miller, Ciresi L.L.P., Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Stinson

2013

The 2013 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms that have devoted considerable resources and provided significant pro bono representation to secure the mandate of Gideon vs. Wainwright.

Covington & Burling LLP, Crowell & Moring LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Dechert LLP, Hogan Lovells, Jones Day, Keller Rohrback L.L.P, King & Spalding, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Osborn Maledon, P.A., Paul Hastings LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, Quarles & Brady LLP, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, Zimmerman Jones Booher LLC

2012

The 2012 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms that have innovative public-private partnerships that protect equal justice for all.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Arnold & Porter, Crowell & Moring, Dorsey & Whitney, DLA Piper, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher 

2011

The 2011 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms with innovative public-private partnerships that protect equal justice for all through appellate litigation.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Covington & Burling; Dechert LLP; Jones Day; Kean Miller; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Liskow & Lewis; Morrison & Foerster; O'Melveny & Myers; Paul Hastings; Perkins Coie; Reed Smith LLP; Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP; and WilmerHale

2010

The 2010 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors Law Firms That Have Made a Significant Impact in the Area of Immigration.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Arnold & Porter; Cozen O'Connor; Crowell & Moring LLP; Dickstein Shapiro; Dorsey & Whitney; Dykema Gossett, PLLC; Foster Quan, LLP; Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP; Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Goldman & Goldman, P.C.; Goodwin Procter; Holland & Knight; Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; Hunton & Williams; Jenner & Block; King & Spalding; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Latham & Watkins; Law Office of Marisa DeFranco; Leonard, Street and Deinard; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Parker, Butte and Lane Law Firm; Parrilli Renison; Perkins Coie LLP; Quarles & Brady; Reed Smith; Richard Toscano; Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.; The Sparks Law Corporation; Steptoe & Johnson; Troutman Sanders; Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC

2009

The 2009 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms providing significant pro bono representation who, in partnership with a legal aid program, have represented disadvantage families in foreclosure proceedings.

Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin; Joseph, Greenwald & Laake and Snell and Wilmer L.L.P.

2008

The 2008 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms providing significant pro bono representation to people on death row.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Allen & Overy LLP; Baker & McKenzie LLP; Bingham McCutchen LLP; Burke McPheeters Bordner & Estes; Burns & Levinson LLP; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Clifford Chance LLP; Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, PLLC; Covington & Burling; Cowan Liebowitz & Latman PC; Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP; Davis Wright Tremaine LLP; Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Dechert LLP; Dickstein Shapiro LLP; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC; Esdaile, Barrett & Esdaile; Foley Hoag LLP; Fredrikson & Byron PA; Fulbright & Jaworski; Hangley, Aronchick, Segal & Pudlin; Harris Wiltshire & Grannis; Heller Ehrman; Holland & Hart LLP; Hunton & Williams; Jenner & Block LLP; Jones Day; Keller & Heckman LLP; Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Lesnevich and Marzano-Lesnevich; Lesser, Newman, Souweine & Nasser; Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP; McCarter & English, LLP; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Murphy & Shaffer;Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Pepper Hamilton LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Reed Smith LLP; Rodgers, Powers & Schwartz LLP; Schiff Hardin LLP; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Shearman & Sterling LLP; Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Spriggs & Hollingworth; Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP; Tennant Lubell LLC; Trainor, Billman, Bennett, Milko & McCabe LLP; Venable LLP; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; Weinberg & Garber, PC; WilmerHale

2007

The 2007 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms providing significant pro bono representation to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Alston & Bird LLP; Arnold & Porter LLP; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.; Gibbons P.C.; Jenner & Block LLP; Jones Day; Kaye Scholer LLP; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Sidley Austin LLP; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

Beacon of Justice Award Winners

Year:
2015
Criteria:

The 2015 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms for exceptional pro bono leadership and that have met the high expectations and criteria for selection by expanding opportunities for the underserved in areas such as education, health care, housing, and legal services.

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; DLA Piper; Hunton & Williams; Jones Day; Lavelle Law, Ltd.; Morrison & Foerster; O'Melveny & Myers LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Phillip
Where presented :
Exemplar Award Dinner
Frequency:
Annual
Year:
2014
Criteria:

The 2014 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors law firms that have all devoted significant time and resources to creating and implementing innovative strategies to improve life outcomes for low income individuals.

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, Briggs and Morgan, P.A., Callister Nebeker & McCullough, Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, Dechert LLP, DLA Piper, Fenwick & West LLP, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, Frie
Frequency:
Annual
Year:
2013
Criteria:

The 2013 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms have devoted considerable resources and provided significant pro bono representation to secure the mandate of Gideon vs. Wainwright 

Recipient organization:
Covington & Burling LLP, Crowell & Moring LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Dechert LLP, Hogan Lovells, Jones Day, Keller Rohrback L.L.P, King & Spalding, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Osborn Ma
Frequency:
Annual
Year:
2012
Criteria:

The 2012 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms that have innovative public-private partnerships that protect equal justice for all.

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Arnold & Porter, Crowell & Moring, Dorsey & Whitney, DLA Piper, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
Criteria:

The 2011 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors Law Firms that have Innovative Public-Private Partnerships that Protect Equal Justice for All through Appellate Litigation

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Covington & Burling; Dechert LLP; Jones Day; Kean Miller; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Liskow & Lewis; Morrison & Foerster; O'Melveny & Myers; Paul Hastings; Perkins Coie; Reed Smith LLP; Robins, Kaplan, Miller
Where presented :
Exemplar Award Dinner
Criteria:

The 2010 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors Law Firms That Have Made a Significant Impact in the Area of Immigration.

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Arnold & Porter; Cozen O'Connor; Crowell & Moring LLP; Dickstein Shapiro; Dorsey & Whitney; Dykema Gossett, PLLC; Foster Quan, LLP; Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP; Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.; Gibson, Dunn & Crutch
Where presented :
Exemplar Award Dinner
Criteria:

Law Firms Providing Significant Pro Bono Representation Law Firms Who, In Partnership with a Legal Aid Program, Have Represented Disadvantaged Families in Foreclosure Proceedings

Recipient organization:
Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin; Joseph, Greenwald & Laake and Snell and Wilmer L.L.P.
Where presented :
Exemplar Award Dinner
Criteria:

Law Firms Providing Significant Pro Bono Representation to People on Death Row

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Allen & Overy LLP; Baker & McKenzie LLP; Bingham McCutchen LLP; Burke McPheeters Bordner & Estes; Burns & Levinson LLP; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Clifford Chance LLP; Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, PLLC;
Where presented :
Exemplar Award Dinner
Criteria:

Law Firms Providing Significant Pro Bono Representation to Detainees at Guantanamo Bay

Recipient organization:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Alston & Bird LLP; Arnold & Porter LLP; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.; Gibbons P.C.; Jenner & Block LLP; Jones Day; Kaye Scholer LLP; Mo