The legal press, ALM included, focuses much of its time on the flaws of the profession—low morale in Big Law, greedy partners, law schools that fail or fall short, unethical judges. After all, news is news.
But in the spirit of the holidays, we're giving that a rest and highlighting the good work law firms are undertaking, especially this season. Whether it's through community service or pro bono projects, the legal profession each year gives back—in a big way. In pro bono hours alone, about 130 major law firms donated an aggregate 4.2 million hours last year, according to the Pro Bono Institute, which tallied hours from firms that signed on to its Pro Bono Challenge.
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Greenberg Traurig's Tallahassee office is participating in the Elder Elf program through Elder Care Services Inc. Elder Elf volunteers fulfill wish lists for elderly people in need. The office is sponsoring six individuals and has 25 workers (both attorneys and nonattorneys) participating. On Dec. 15, the teams gathered to wrap the gifts, and on Dec. 16, they delivered the items to the folks. The firm's Las Vegas office is participating in the Stuff the Bus program, which people at the firm help fill a bus with unwrapped gifts for the children of the Department of Family Services who are in foster care.