“Pro bono service is part of what it means to be a McCarter lawyer. We are privileged to be in the legal profession and value the opportunity to put our skills to their highest and best use in the services of others. We view our pro bono practice as a necessary component of the firm and all of our lawyers are expected to spend time assisting those in need. It is very much who McCarter is.”
—Michelle Pallak, Pro Bono Partner
Our Commitment
Chaired by our Pro Bono Partner, the firm’s Pro Bono Committee collaborates with legal services organizations, nonprofits, and advocates to develop creative strategies that help address systemic problems . Our lawyers engage in meaningful service to low-income and otherwise marginalized individuals and families throughout McCarter’s national footprint. Some of our core initiatives include:
- Strengthening our communities through supporting non-profits and marginalized entrepreneurs with transactional and IP matters;
- Hosting monthly clinics for refugees, in addition to representing asylum-seekers and others with humanitarian immigration relief applications;
- Representing veterans seeking benefits and challenging wrongful benefits denials;
- Assisting with applications for criminal record clearing relief;
- Working with community-based organizations to provide information and services to transgender individuals seeking a name change through the courts; and Litigating civil and constitutional rights matters in federal and state courts.
To receive additional information about the Pro Bono practice, click here.
The Pro Bono Fellowship
Since 2018, the McCarter & English Pro Bono Fellowship for the City of Newark offers a full-time attorney to assist and advise residents of Newark with urgent, unmet civil legal necessities. This two-year fellowship position offers lawyers an opportunity to participate in a range of practice areas, including counseling low-income tenants fighting unjust eviction; asylum-seekers; survivors of domestic violence; and otherwise providing access to legal services to those in need.
