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Kesha Kent and Brent Dulle at Missouri Appleseed event.

Pro Bono

Justice for All

These are not just words to us. Lifting the less fortunate and bridging gaps in our communities through pro bono service is a cornerstone of Husch Blackwell’s culture.

Through thousands of hours of free legal services, we strive to improve the lives of children, the poor, and other disadvantaged groups. We are committed to sharing our skills to advance access to justice and to help hundreds of nonprofit organizations and individuals unable to pay for the legal representation they need achieve their goals. Our aim is to create a lasting impact in the communities where we live and work by fostering economic development and protecting the rights of the disadvantaged—and we do this all year long. Explore our pro bono client successes and learn how Husch Blackwell is advancing access to justice.

As part of our broader pro bono work, we have a specific initiative, HB Communities for Change, dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in the communities that need it most. The program helps underrepresented entrepreneurs and small businesses on a pro bono basis meet their legal needs so they can grow their enterprises.

We also offer a Human Trafficking Legal Clinic led by a former assistant U.S. attorney, which provides pro bono legal services for victims of human trafficking, representing international and domestic victims on issues such as immigration, criminal charges, custody disputes, identity theft, and housing and landlord-tenant matters.

In addition to the individual cases we handle, we are also a member of the recently formed Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA), a group dedicated to addressing inequality and racial injustice, as well as the structures that allow inequalities to propagate. This gives us an opportunity to collaborate with other firms to help identify and dismantle systemic and structural racism in the law.

The impact of our attorneys and professionals in 2023
(statistics as of 12/31/23).
464
organizations helped
414
individuals assisted
26,090
hours donated
690
professionals participating
$12.5M
value of hours donated
100%
practices and industry groups participating

View Husch Blackwell's recent pro bono projects.

HB Communities for Change: Entrepreneur and Small Business Clinic

The HB Communities for Change initiative expands the firm’s pro bono commitments by assisting eligible, underrepresented entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profits, on a pro bono basis, in the cities where we have offices. Are you an underrepresented small business or entrepreneur in an under-resourced community seeking legal assistance? We encourage you to learn more and apply.

Human Trafficking Legal Clinic

To maximize efforts in the fight against human trafficking, Husch Blackwell developed a legal clinic that is the first of its kind in the country. The firm is committed to representing all victims — international and domestic, adults and children — in commercial sex and forced labor trafficking cases referred by prosecutors' offices, law enforcement and partnering nonprofit agencies.

Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

Husch Blackwell partners with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to host a monthly Legal Intake Clinic where we are changing how some of the most vulnerable populations in our local community view attorneys and the legal system. Husch Blackwell’s Pro Bono Legal Intake Clinic demonstrates our commitment to protecting our clients’ rights by connecting attorneys to individuals in need of legal services, but who might not be able to afford such services. During the long history of our partnership, we annually dedicate hundreds of hours across all our of strategic business units and practice specialty centers to representing low-income families in St. Louis, with a variety of legal issues, including: estate planning, landlord/tenant disputes, guardianship matters, and much more!

Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts

In Chicago and St. Louis, our attorneys provide pro bono legal services to artists and art organizations to help protect their rights and develop their businesses. This includes contract drafting, review and negotiation; copyright, trademark and patent prosecution and protection; nonprofit formation and tax exemption; and corporate and litigation matters.

I was using my own money, and lawyer fees were something that was really not in my budget. Within a few weeks I got a call from Husch Blackwell saying that they were assigning three lawyers to me. They helped me not only get started but were there every step of the way. I got approved for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in less than two months with their help. There’s just so much they’ve helped me with. We wouldn’t be an organization without them.

Wendy Addis, Founder, Kaleidoscope Network
Firm News
February 26, 2024
2023 Pro Bono & Community Impact Report
Firm News
February 14, 2023
2022 Pro Bono Impact Report
Media Mentions
April 2020
Colorado Lawyer: Young Lawyers in Action