Pro Bono

Pro bono and other community service activities are an important professional responsibility. Thompson & Knight's pro bono program benefits the public, the individuals we serve, and the development of our lawyers' skills and sense of professional and public service. Our pro bono program provides assistance to those in our community who cannot otherwise afford legal services. In 2003, Thompson & Knight was honored with the Firm of the Year for Extraordinary Pro Bono Service Award at the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program Annual Pro Bono Awards and Volunteer Recognition Event. In addition, our Firm was recognized as the 2000 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year in the Small Business category by the Volunteer Center of Dallas County for the firm's continuous pro bono service to The Housing Crisis Center. Some of the projects and organizations our attorneys have contributed to include:

The Housing Crisis Center (HCC) in Dallas and the South Dallas Legal Clinic. The HCC is dedicated to preventing homelessness and stabilizing families, the elderly, and the disabled in decent, affordable, permanent housing. Clients who attend these workshops require legal assistance to avoid wrongful evictions or to have their utilities restored. Our attorneys and other personnel staff this clinic once a month. The Volunteer Center of Dallas County has acknowledged the Firm for its work with the HCC.

The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program has awarded the Firm two pro bono awards for the significant hours we spend in support of the South Dallas Legal Clinic (SDLC). The SDLC is a clinic for people who fall below the poverty guidelines. Thompson & Knight secretaries and legal assistants perform interviews and check paperwork to ensure that the persons requesting assistance fall within the SDLC's guidelines. Once eligibility is established, our attorneys visit with the individuals, providing legal expertise to help address problems.

The New York City Bankruptcy Assistance Project (NYC BAP) was launched by the Legal Services of New York (LSNY) in response to the passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, which made it more difficult for consumers to obtain relief from debts through bankruptcy. Through NYC BAP, firms throughout New York City help low-wage workers file bankruptcy petitions in order to stabilize their lives and help them remain in the workforce. The LSNY has awarded a Thompson & Knight attorney with a 2007 Pro Bono Service Award for his work on the NYC BAP Steering Committee.

In addition to the few examples mentioned above, our pro bono legal work ranges from staffing legal clinics to the handling of adoption cases and from representing nonprofit organizations to handling death penalty cases. Because we believe that we have a professional responsibility to assure that the disadvantaged have access to our legal system, a substantial portion of our pro bono work is for the poor and underprivileged. We approach pro bono clients with the same service commitment that we give to our other clients.