Pro Bono at Weil

Weil has an incredibly supportive culture towards pro bono work. During my first sibling lunch, my summer siblings talked about the emphasis the firm places on pro bono work and how encouraging the partners are for associates to take on such assignments. One associate mentioned partners at the firm called him to check on the progress of his pro bono engagements and to encourage him to take on more pro bono assignments.

The Innocence Project is a highlight among the many types of pro bono work that Weil does. All the summer associates were invited to a training which gave us detailed instructions on the Innocence Project’s screening process. I was shocked by stories of innocent men serving decades of prison sentences for crimes they did not commit, and touched by the amount of effort the firm has put into helping to prove their innocence. I also gained knowledge about the usefulness of DNA evidence to show that the evidence at the crime scene did not implicate the accused.

In addition, doing pro bono work at Weil is a great way to connect with colleagues in different departments. These projects bring together people from various practices across the firm, as well as provide opportunities to solve legal problems that they wouldn’t otherwise encounter.