For the third consecutive year, Law360 has named WilmerHale a Pro Bono Firm of the Year for its successful track record in pro bono cases and the ongoing dedication of its lawyers to advocacy for those most in need. WilmerHale’s pro bono tradition stretches back decades to its predecessor firms and is embedded in the firm’s culture.

"When lawyers come here, they understand it’s part of the atmosphere they breathe," said Partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Jack Regan, as quoted by Law360.

WilmerHale was recognized this year for playing a key role in successfully striking down a statute that barred the US Department of Veterans Affairs from providing equal benefits to gay and lesbian veterans and their spouses. As told by Law360, the team "convinced the judge that the law’s 'opposite-sex' definition of 'spouse' was unconstitutional."

The firm also secured a unique victory when Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, a lawyer and human rights advocate, was freed after spending three years in a Vietnamese prison for "propaganda" against the communist regime in Hanoi. In addition, WilmerHale was highlighted for having "far-reaching implications" in regards to death penalty laws. A mentally disabled man on Florida’s death row was saved by a team of WilmerHale lawyers led by Seth Waxman. The team convinced the court that the state’s use of a specific IQ score as a bright-line cutoff for death penalty eligibility violated the Eighth Amendment.

Learn more about the firm’s philanthropic model and pro bono reputation.