Giving Back at Weil

NEW YORK – On Friday, July 8, Weil held a community service day for the summer associates. This was in addition to a number of community engagement and pro bono activities that we have engaged in this summer, and I was excited to see what the day would entail. We partnered with Free Arts NYC to host a fun-filled day of arts and crafts for underserved children currently living in local homeless shelters.

When the kids arrived, we paired up and received instructions for the crafts that we would be working on that day. The theme for the art project was “Carnaval,” inspired by the upcoming Olympic Games hosted in Rio. It was great to see how the kids expressed themselves through the construction of colorful masks and sculptures; the creativity that they exhibited was truly special.

After the crafts were finished, the pizza was eaten and the good-byes were said, I reflected on my experience. Seeing the smiles on their faces and hearing the laughter in the room was rewarding, but the real take-away was the impact that a few hours can make on a child’s life. And that is a core value at the heart of Weil: using your time to make a difference.

As the summer has progressed, I have gotten a real sense of the priority that Weil places on not just community engagement but also the firm’s pro bono practice. I’m consistently getting emails about pro bono opportunities, and other ways to get involved in the local community. Some of the associates I have spoken with have told me that their most meaningful experiences have come from representing clients on pro bono matters. The approach that Weil takes on pro bono instills a true level of responsibility to give back, and I’m proud to be associated with such a great firm.