In recognition of the 2026 National Celebration of Pro Bono (October 25–31, 2026), Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) is proud to present its 2026 Pro Bono Awards to two exceptional partners, as L4GG marks its 10th anniversary. This year's honorees exemplify the power of pro bono work at every stage of a legal career:
McDermott Will & Schulte – a global law firm whose partners and associates contributed more than 1,200 pro bono hours across asylum work permits, environmental justice, and transgender rights.
University of California, Irvine School of Law – a law school whose students take on meaningful work in their first weeks of law school, supporting L4GG's reproductive rights research.
““A commitment to pro bono can start at any point in a legal career, McDermott Will & Schulte partners and associates brought their everyday practice to three very different areas of our work. UC Irvine School of Law students take on meaningful work in their first weeks of law school. Both show how much the legal community can accomplish when lawyers, and future lawyers, bring their skills to the people who need them.””
McDermott Will & Schulte: Work Permits, Environmental Justice and Transgender Rights
In 2025, McDermott Will & Schulte attorneys contributed more than 1,200 pro bono hours across three areas of L4GG's work: helping asylum seekers secure work permits through L4GG's Asylum Work Permit Clinic, pursuing funding for communities whose federal environmental justice grants were terminated, and maintaining L4GG's Policy Resource Hub for Transgender Rights. From intellectual property litigators to energy and project finance associates, McDermott's volunteers show that pro bono work does not require a new specialty — just lawyers willing to apply the skills they already have for a new set of clients.
Read more about L4GG's partnership with McDermott Will & Schulte.
University of California, Irvine School of Law: Pro Bono From the First Weeks of Law School
UC Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) students contribute to L4GG's Reproductive Rights Media Project, part of L4GG's Gender Justice and Health Equity program. Students can join in their first weeks of law school, conducting media research that supports L4GG's reproductive rights work. Since the project launched in fall 2022, 68 UCI Law students have contributed more than 825 hours to it. The partnership continues to grow: this academic year, UCI Law and L4GG are launching a new externship partnership that builds on the students' work.
Read more about L4GG's partnership with UC Irvine School of Law here.
Celebrating a Decade of Pro Bono Partnership
As L4GG marks 10 years since its founding in 2016, McDermott Will & Schulte and UC Irvine School of Law represent the partnerships that have powered its work: firms that commit attorneys across issue areas, and law schools that make public service part of legal education. Together, these honorees represent the very best of L4GG's pro bono model — consistency in long-term engagement, scale of impact, and clear alignment with L4GG's mission. We are honored to celebrate both partners for their extraordinary contributions, which demonstrate the transformative impact of pro bono advocacy in addressing urgent needs and advancing systemic change. In the spirit of professionalism and purpose, L4GG thanks our 2026 Pro Bono Award recipients for proving that when lawyers, and future lawyers, unite behind human rights and democratic values, the outcomes truly change lives.