Shook’s Pro Bono Program Soars

Whether it’s holding a prison medical provider accountable for the death of an inmate, helping a family adopt a foster care child or assisting a persecuted mother in obtaining asylum, Shook’s pro bono team is up for the task. 

Shook catapulted from number 80 to the 42nd position, in The American Lawyer pro bono rankings. Amlaw publishes this annual survey, which asks the top 200 U.S. law firms to provide their average pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of their lawyers contributing at least 20 pro bono hours. Heading into last year, the firm set a three-year goal to improve the quality of its pro bono program and to break into the top 50 Amlaw’s survey. After just one year, Shook experienced a 34% increase in average hours and a 65% increase in attorney participation.

“While we prefer to highlight the amazing stories and resilience of our pro bono clients, it is nice to celebrate the firm's own achievements along the way,” said Shook Pro Bono Partner and Director Scot Fishman. “We are proud of our pro bono program and we continue to look for additional ways to impact the communities we serve.”

Shook hired Fishman in 2021 to oversee the firm’s pro bono program. The one-year jump in the firm’s pro bono ranking is noteworthy, and it comes on the heels of Shook’s decision to launch a nationwide civil rights and racial justice practice – a development that was the focus of a recent ALM interview with Fishman and former Harris County Prosecutor Michael Harrison.  Fishman and Shook were also featured in a related ALM story, “Firms Are Beefing Up Pro Bono Teams With Specialists.”