Supporting Our Communities

Disability Rights

D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Advocacy & Justice Clinic

Washington, D.C.

In partnership with the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center’s Advocacy & Justice Clinic (Advocacy & Justice Clinic), a Sidley team represented a client diagnosed with numerous mental health conditions who had been denied disability benefits on multiple occasions. The Sidley team obtained a remand and fully favorable decision before the Social Security Administration that led to an award of Social Security benefits and significant backpay.

Protecting the Rights of People with Speech Disabilities

Washington, D.C.

In June 2024, Sidley secured an important pro bono victory for CommunicationFIRST, a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to further the rights of people with speech-related disabilities. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit agreed with the position and reasoning urged in Sidley’s amicus brief for CommunicationFIRST and reversed a district court decision granting summary judgment to a school district on a claim brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by a non-speaking student seeking the right to use a letterboard to communicate in school. The decision established an important precedent regarding the interaction between the ADA and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will assist students with disabilities seeking equal treatment. Sidley represented CommunicationFIRST in this case, Jennifer Binder LePape v. Lower Merion School District.

Disability Rights Maryland

Washington, D.C.

Sidley is providing pro bono support and serving as co-counsel with Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) in connection with a fair housing lawsuit against the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County (HAPGC) that previously resolved with a settlement agreement. The lawsuit alleged widespread disability-based discrimination in the administration and operation of HAPGC’s Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs, with claims alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. Sidley’s work in this matter has included advocacy with DRM in seeking to enforce the terms of the settlement agreement and to ensure HAPGC’s compliance with its obligations under the settlement agreement.

DRM is a nonprofit organization that is Maryland’s designated Protection & Advocacy agency. DRM is federally mandated to advance the civil rights of people with disabilities and provides free legal services to Marylanders of any age with all types of disabilities. Sidley has worked with DRM for many years on multiple pro bono matters to protect and advance the civil rights of Marylanders living with disabilities.

Welfare Benefit Appeals

London

Under our Welfare Benefit Appeals project, lawyers in Sidley’s London office assist individuals with disabilities to challenge wrongful decisions made by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) in respect of entitlement to benefits. In 2024, we accepted nearly 30 new referrals from our partner organization, Richmond AID, and represented over 20 clients before the First-tier Tribunal, with a success rate of 95%.

Clients suffered from a variety of health conditions, including PTSD, depression, schizophrenia, heart conditions, and severe mobility issues. Our volunteers also had to navigate an increasingly complex landscape within the Tribunal system, with delays of up to a year becoming the norm, which cause clients a significant deal of distress.

Family Law

Washington, D.C.

A Sidley team reunited a Spanish-speaking father with his young autistic child after 10 months apart, navigating complex issues of divorce, alimony, child support, and custody. The team secured a favorable settlement, including regular visitation, alternating holidays, and phone calls. This case was also referred by the Advocacy & Justice Clinic.

Not Beyond Redemption

London

In partnership with specialist charities Not Beyond Redemption (NBR) and the Free Family Representation and Advocacy Project, our London office provides family law advice, representation, and support to mothers in prison and litigants. Sidley’s work with NBR was recently recognized at the LexisNexis Legal Awards.

In 2024, Sidley contributed nearly 900 hours working with NBR to assist over 20 mothers either in or recently released from prison.

Two such volunteers represented a mother during proceedings that lasted over two years and involved numerous court hearings. When the team first took on the matter, the mother had no contact with her child. Now, a final order is in place that enables her to have video calls and letterbox contact with her child, and also makes provision for the level of contact to increase following the mother’s release from prison.

Free Family Representation and Advocacy Project

London

Lawyers in our London office act as pro bono advocates for litigants in person in the family court, representing individuals in proceedings relating to child arrangements.

In 2024, Sidley volunteers attended seven clinics, representing 16 litigants in person at the Central Family Court and conducting advocacy in 13 of those cases.

A Sidley team represented a father seeking to reestablish contact with his young child. The father was permitted only to send his child — whom he had not seen for a number of years — an infrequent gift and receive a photo of his child in return. Sidley persuaded the court to order a report, which would detail how the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) could help reintroduce the father into the child’s life, and obtained the Court’s permission for the father to send letters to his child.

Tenants’ Rights

D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center

Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office has represented many Washington, D.C. tenants as part of a referral program from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center.

In one such case, Sidley secured a victory for a veteran who faced eviction proceedings for nonpayment of rent. As a result of Sidley’s advocacy, the tenant was able to settle the case on favorable terms, which resulted in the landlord waiving the existing civil judgment for unpaid rent and agreeing to seal the record of the proceedings. The client has since secured new housing.

In another case, Sidley secured a victory for a victim of identity theft whose name and Social Security number were fraudulently used to rent multiple apartments in the District of Columbia. The client, who has never been a resident of the District of Columbia, was incorrectly named as a defendant in seven eviction proceedings related to the fraudulent leases, and the public record of these cases made it difficult for her to secure new housing. Sidley filed motions to seal the eviction proceedings, which were granted by the D.C. Superior Court.

In another case, Sidley successfully represented a family who faced eviction for nonpayment of rent. Sidley was able to have the landlord’s claims against the family dismissed, and as part of counterclaims raised by the family, was able to secure a settlement agreement from the landlord that resulted in significant repairs to the apartment, including remediation of a severe rodent infestation.

Sidley represented two families who were facing eviction and the loss of their housing choice vouchers for alleged nonpayment of rent and tenancy violations. In both cases, Sidley filed motions to dismiss based on defects in the landlords’ complaints, after which the landlords agreed to dismiss the cases with prejudice, thus allowing the families to remain in their apartments and retain their housing vouchers.

Landlord Tenant Resource Center

Sidley’s D.C. office partnered with the Association of American Medical Colleges to staff the Landlord Tenant Resource Center, a monthly clinic run by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. Sidley lawyers provide free legal information to pro se tenants and small landlords facing housing disputes in Washington, D.C.

Housing Right to Counsel Project

Since the inception of the D.C. Housing Right to Counsel Project (RTC Project), Sidley has expanded access to the direct representation of clients in subsidized and other affordable housing who are facing eviction proceedings. Sidley was the first firm to begin taking pro bono cases through the RTC Project nine years ago and received the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award in 2018 for their continued commitment. In two RTC matters in 2024, Sidley lawyers achieved favorable results for D.C. residents facing eviction and loss of their housing choice vouchers due to alleged tenancy violations, leading to the dismissal of both of their cases with prejudice at the initial hearings.

Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

Free Minds is a D.C.-based nonprofit that serves incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Washington, D.C. residents who have endured over-policed, deeply disinvested neighborhoods, and were denied equitable access to education, employment, and financial opportunities. They work with members throughout their incarceration and reentry to build their learning skills; foster social capital and self-efficacy; and connect members to opportunities for career advancement. For incarcerated members, they run book clubs and writing workshops in the D.C. jail and juvenile detention center, and long-distance, correspondence-based programming for D.C. residents in the federal prison system.

Since 2023, Sidley has worked with Free Minds in their corporate governance review in order to advance their mission of building leadership among incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Free Minds members.

“By working with us to develop an organizational structure that honors the lived-experiences of Free Minds members, Sidley has taken part in creating a pathway where our members have access to becoming thriving leaders both within our organization and the broader community. … Through our close work with Sidley, we have witnessed their passion and commitment to advancing equitable opportunities for individuals who have endured systemic injustices.”
— Tara Libert, Co-founder and Executive Director, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

Dallas Expunction Expo

Sidley has participated in the Dallas County Expunction Expo for the past two years. This year, the firm accepted 26 cases from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. While the District Attorney’s Office notes that typically, only 60% of expunction applicants are responsive to contact, we successfully engaged 88% of our clients and filed all 23 expunction petitions, helping our clients overcome barriers to employment and housing opportunities. This number was even higher than last year’s rate of 83% in engaging clients.

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Clinic

In coordination with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS), Sidley runs a legal clinic through which it conducts monthly intake interviews with prospective clients and provides pro bono legal services to dozens of Chicago-area clients. As part of its work through the CVLS clinic, Sidley has represented clients in a variety of legal proceedings, most recently advocating for clients in numerous successful guardianship and adoption proceedings in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

“Oftentimes, law students think they must choose between working at a law firm and working on issues they’re passionate about. Sidley turns that assumption on its head by giving associates the pro bono fellowship opportunity, and countless other opportunities, to provide meaningful pro bono work.”

Keanu Balani, Century City
Private Equity

“My legal fellowship at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty was an incredible experience. I was immediately given substantive legal work to do, and I also learned so much about religious liberty legal work and made connections that have allowed me to continue to take on religious liberty pro bono projects, and even participate in multiple Supreme Court amicus briefs that touch on the same themes, during my time at Sidley.”

Levi Brown, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“Working with Bet Tzedek’s Impact Litigation team allowed me to gain substantive experience quickly, develop litigation skills, and most importantly, to advocate for and to help those in need of legal assistance. Starting my legal career at Bet Tzedek instilled in me that pro bono work is interesting, rewarding, and vitally important.”

Jamie Cappell, Los Angeles
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“Sidley’s pro bono fellowship exemplifies the exceptional opportunity provided by the firm’s pro bono practice to gain diverse experience while making a meaningful impact. As a pro bono fellow, I had the opportunity to support the investigative work of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a nonpartisan independent watchdog. The fellowship was a fantastic way to support a cause I care about while preparing to begin my journey as an associate at Sidley.”

Anna Carney, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“Participating in Sidley’s pro bono fellowship helped me fulfill a longtime personal goal of working with the ACLU. The best part of my time with the ACLU of DC was getting to file suit in a high school free speech case. It was one of the most meaningful professional experiences of my life. I am very grateful to Sidley for making it happen!

Ellie DeGarmo, Washington, D.C.
Healthcare

“Sidley’s PILI Fellowship gave me the opportunity to hone real-world litigation skills while contributing to an organization that connects people to critical legal services. With the guidance of the talented attorneys at Legal Aid Chicago, I helped an elderly tenant remain stably housed in the face of a wrongful eviction.”

Anne Driscoll, Chicago
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“I had the privilege of spending my summer fellowship at the National Veterans Legal Services Program. I worked mainly on disability claims and litigation with respect to two sets of client groups: veterans who were exposed to burn pits during service and full-time caregivers of disabled veterans. My fellowship was finding ways to tell our clients’ stories through our filings. And I was consistently blown away by these stories of hardship in training, combat, and in readjusting to civilian life. I learned so much, and I would like to think I helped some of the most deserving individuals in our country.”

Ish Farooqui, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“My fellowship at Bet Tzedek in their preventing and ending homelessness practice was a profoundly rewarding experience. Working diligently to ensure that tenants were treated fairly not only allowed me to give back to the community, but also reinforced my commitment to pro bono work as an associate at Sidley.”

Max Gordon, Los Angeles
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“My fellowship at the Public Defender Service taught me the skills necessary to become a great litigator. But most important to my professional growth as an aspiring defense attorney, when working with clients whose liberty was at stake, I learned to put away all biases I may have had and advocated for my client to the best of my ability.”

Dominique Hall, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“Getting the opportunity to assist emerging nonprofit organizations at the beginning of my legal career was a powerful reminder that, at its heart, lawyering is about helping others. I am grateful to be at a place like Sidley that cares about creating a culture of service by providing opportunities to support those less fortunate and make a meaningful impact in our community.”

Robert Hogan, Chicago
Investment Funds

“Through my fellowship with Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, I learned about the essential role that legal advocacy plays as part of a broader framework, including political advocacy and social services, in protecting people from falling through the frayed and precarious net of housing benefits.”

Priya Kareddy, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“During my pro bono fellowship at the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, I had the privilege of advocating for individuals living with mental health disorders. Our focus was to ensure that every person received the due process they are entitled to when facing involuntary admission for mental health treatment. This experience not only deepened my understanding of the legal protections afforded to vulnerable populations but also reinforced my commitment to upholding justice and dignity for all.”

Madeleine Larock, Chicago
M&A

“My experience with the Brooklyn Defender Services reinforced my belief in the importance of creative and compassionate advocacy, which I practiced firsthand helping clients navigate immigration law, an ever-changing, and often confusing, area of law. I am grateful to Sidley’s pro bono fellowship program for providing me with the opportunity to not only hone my legal skills but also to use those skills to make a positive impact.”

Stephanie Lim, New York
Privacy and Cybersecurity

“Having the opportunity to draft federal appellate court amicus briefs and receive direct feedback on my writing was an invaluable experience. It has made me feel more confident taking on similar challenges at Sidley and becoming more involved in our pro bono work.”

Scott Lowder, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“During my fellowship with the Project on Government Oversight, I helped draft model legislation for states seeking to expand their data privacy protections. The experience helped me think about statutory interpretation from a drafter’s perspective — a viewpoint I draw on regularly as an associate as we seek to interpret new statutes and regulations for our clients.”

Lloyd Lyall, Washington, D.C.
Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy

“Working as a fellow for Legal Aid Chicago was incredibly rewarding. I got to work with such a talented and dedicated group of attorneys who made it an exciting and collaborative place to work and especially to learn. Now that I am a practicing attorney myself, I try every day to emulate that spirit and passion for client advocacy.”

Kate McCue, Chicago
Investment Funds

“My fellowship with Quality Trust afforded me the opportunity to see on-the-ground efforts to increase the autonomy rights of people with disabilities. I contributed to a project aiming to propose a Bill of Rights for individuals under guardianship in D.C. by conducting a 50-state review on parallel statutes in other states and identifying guaranteed rights that are most developed and supported by existing law. In doing so, I learned the value of exploring outside my jurisdiction to find creative ways to address novel questions of law.”

Melisa Olgun, New York
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“During my fellowship at the Institute for Justice, I experienced firsthand the incredible work that the organization does to protect the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution and fight against governmental abuse.”

Jorge Pereira, Washington, D.C.
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“My clients at Amica Center were caring, funny, whip smart, and loved by so many people in the D.C. area and beyond. Getting to know them and their families, and getting to work together towards their release, was a great honor.”

Bridget Pranzatelli, Washington, D.C.
Food, Drug and Medical Device

“As part of Sidley’s pro bono fellowship, I worked with LA28 on a variety of transactional matters to help prepare Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games. It was a great experience to work with cross-functional teams, build my drafting skills, and understand the Olympic Movement. Thanks Sidley and LA28 for giving me the opportunity to be a part of history!”

Alex Sirota, Century City
M&A

“As part of the fellowship program, I worked with client intakes, which meant many times I was the first person to speak with individuals about getting legal assistance. Through these interactions, I learned that sometimes the first thing people need to see is that someone cares, that someone is willing to listen. That alone can make a big difference.”

Christina Strohmann, Los Angeles
Commercial Litigation and Disputes

“As a fellow with Legal Aid Chicago, I was proud to help Chicagoans navigate the complex public benefits landscape to obtain the financial assistance they’re entitled to and deserve. I will always cherish my time working with such dedicated and justice-oriented professionals at Legal Aid Chicago, and I’m grateful for such an enriching experience.”

Andrew Watkins, Chicago
Commercial Litigation and Disputes