August 26, 2024
The National Law Journal selected Willkie as a finalist for the 2024 Community Impact Leaders award for its sustainability commitment, community foundations, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and landmark pro bono cases from the last year.
2023 was a banner year for Willkie’s pro bono practice and that momentum has carried into an extremely busy and productive 2024. Willkie lawyers provided crucial legal advice and support to underserved individuals, communities and organizations – and shaped the legal landscape in a series of high-profile cases.Over the last 18 months, we have continued to progress our sustainability commitment, with the goal of making Willkie an even smarter and more efficient organization. In May 2023, Willkie pledged to achieve net zero emissions across all offices and operations by 2050, and in early 2024, we expanded our urban beehive initiative. Willkie proudly sponsors five urban beehives located on the roofs of our New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Chicago offices, and another sponsored hive in a community garden in London.
Willkie is committed to bettering communities in need and helping the underprivileged – particularly through its community foundations. 2024 marks the 20 year anniversary of the Willkie Greater DC Community Foundation, whose mission is to support the educational and enrichment programs for under-resourced youth in the DC area. Modeled from the Willkie DC Foundation, the Willkie San Francisco Foundation was established in 2021, and works with nonprofit partner Urban Alchemy (UA).
Racial justice and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion remain an utmost priority at Willkie. Partnering with various nonprofit and advocacy organizations throughout the U.S., Willkie lawyers work to address systemic inequalities affecting communities of color, as well as through individual representations.
In addition to the Community Impact Leaders finalist distinction, partners Michael Gottlieb and Meryl Governski were named finalists for the Winning Litigators award.
The winners of the National Law Journal Legal Awards 2024 will be announced at an event in Washington, DC on October 24.
View the finalists for the awards here (subscription may be required).
