Shook Earns Beacon of Justice Award for Pro Bono Program

Shook’s flourishing pro bono program has been recognized once again, this time with the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s (NLADA) prestigious 2024 Beacon of Justice Award. Shook is named among a select group of firms in the nation for “incredible pro bono work.”

Among many pro bono successes, Shook stood out for several cases that recently received national press: vacating a criminal conviction of a young man wrongfully accused of murder in Pennsylvania, an abuse of force case against the City of San Jose, and a constitutional challenge to Wichita’s use of a gang database.

“Shook has a long tradition of pro bono service, and over the past few years, we have significantly enhanced our efforts, with our amazing Partner, Scot Fishman, leading the way,” stated Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough.

Led by Partner and Director of Pro Bono Scot Fishman, in just one year Shook experienced a 34% increase in average pro bono hours and a 65% increase in pro bono attorney participation across all U.S. offices, catapulting Shook from number 80 to the 42nd position in The American Lawyer pro bono rankings. In addition, Shook hired Michael Harrison, a full-time senior counsel dedicated to building civil rights and criminal justice work. Since January 2023, more than 98 Shook attorneys have devoted 5,537 hours to civil rights cases across the country.

Shook will be celebrated along with other top firms as a Beacon of Justice Award winner at NLADA’s 2024 Exemplar Awards Gala in Washington, D.C., June 6.