Our Firmwide Projects

Example H2

Sidley continues to expand our pro bono impact through firmwideinitiatives that span all of our offices. We also work with local nonprofits todirectly serve the legal needs of our communities.

Veterans Advocacy

Sidley works with individual veterans seeking benefits, as well as with veterans’ advocacy groups to pursue systemic challenges. In 2024, the firm dedicated more than 12,000 hours to cases for individual veterans and class action matters.

We have long been committed to representing veterans in pursuit of their hard-earned medical and disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense. Our lawyers represent veterans at the agencies and before federal courts on claims for VA service-connected disability compensation, Combat-Related Special Compensation, discharge upgrades, and military medical retirement.

Capital Litigation

Sidley’s Capital Litigation Project ensures that people incarcerated on death row have access to high-quality legal representation — perhaps for the first time since their arrest. To date, we have represented 24 prisoners on Alabama’s death row at all stages of post-conviction proceedings. Since the project’s inception, Sidley has invested more than 186,600 hours in these cases. Sidley’s representation of people on Alabama’s death row has been greatly supported by the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit based in Montgomery, Alabama.

Political Asylum and Immigrants’ Rights

As part of the firm’s Political Asylum and Immigrants’ Rights Project, lawyers across Sidley’s U.S. offices handle impact litigation and individual representations, including asylum cases and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases, on behalf of asylum-seeking immigrants and refugees fleeing persecution abroad.

Sidley also partners with several legal departments of our corporate clients to host clinics and staff cases to help asylees and refugees obtain lawful permanent resident status and bring family members to the United States. In 2024, we hosted clinics to assist individuals in many of these endeavors.

Pro Bono Project for the Arts

We are proud to provide pro bono assistance to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, as well as individual artists who cannot typically afford the legal services needed to survive and grow. This investment helps our communities thrive and encourages our neighbors to share their stories and preserve their rich histories. Our work includes, but is not limited to, venue contracting, international touring logistics and finance, property acquisition, advising on technology questions, and reviewing and drafting IT service agreements. We have assisted many nonprofits with their day-to-day operations, from entity formation, drafting and reviewing contracts, to advising on corporate governance. In supporting the visions of artistic innovators, we hope to connect people from all backgrounds.

Sidley represented Lawyers for the Creative Arts (LCA) in negotiating an agreement between LCA and the Arts and Business Council of Chicago (A&BC), which sought to cease operations after transferring all of its programs and other assets to another nonprofit with a complementary mission. The negotiations culminated in a major realignment of Chicago-based arts service organizations. Under the agreement, LCA has acquired all of the programs of A&BC — which had a decades-long history of serving the arts community — thereby augmenting LCA’s own considerable portfolio of capacity-building services, clinics, and workshops.

Sidley’s lawyers have been providing board leadership to LCA and pro bono representation of LCA clients for the entirety of the nonprofit’s history. This representation was a natural one for both Sidley and LCA, and one that built on Sidley’s institutional knowledge and experience with the nonprofit arts community. The transaction enables LCA to significantly expand its reach within Chicago’s legal community in service to the advancement of the arts.

Lawyers for the Creative Arts

Sidley represented Lawyers for the Creative Arts (LCA) in negotiating an agreement between LCA and the Arts and Business Council of Chicago (A&BC), which sought to cease operations after transferring all of its programs and other assets to another nonprofit with a complementary mission. The negotiations culminated in a major realignment of Chicago-based arts service organizations. Under the agreement, LCA has acquired all of the programs of A&BC — which had a decades-long history of serving the arts community — thereby augmenting LCA’s own considerable portfolio of capacity-building services, clinics, and workshops.

Sidley’s lawyers have been providing board leadership to LCA and pro bono representation of LCA clients for the entirety of the nonprofit’s history. This representation was a natural one for both Sidley and LCA, and one that built on Sidley’s institutional knowledge and experience with the nonprofit arts community. The transaction enables LCA to significantly expand its reach within Chicago’s legal community in service to the advancement of the arts.

Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program and Trade for Development Initiative

The Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program provides free legal support to micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and nonprofits with a clear social, economic, or environmental impact in developing countries. These enterprises span diverse sectors that include food and agriculture, manufacturing, education, technology, health, finance, clean energy, water, and sanitation. The EE Program contributes directly to the realization of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Additionally, focused on making a larger impact on the international ecosystem, Sidley’s Trade for Development Initiative (TDI) provides legal and technical advice to least developed countries, trade associations, and international organizations in areas related to trade, investment, environmental regulations, and green growth.

The mission of both the EE Program and the TDI remains more relevant than ever. The adverse effects of global health crises, conflict, and climate change have created additional hurdles for businesses that seek to improve living standards in developing countries. These pro bono initiatives answer major, ongoing — and increasingly acute — needs for cross-border and international legal services for businesses and organizations across developing countries.

Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties

Sidley works closely with many civil rights advocacy organizations across the country to protect and defend the constitutional right and civil liberties of all people, especially those most subjected to marginalization, persecution, or profiling. Our pro bono practice has worked through the courts, administrative agencies, and legislatures to safeguard, promote, and expand individual rights and civil liberties so that all people can live freely and proudly.

Supporting Our Communities

In addition to our firmwide cornerstone projects, we provide comprehensive pro bono services that address the critical legal needs of our neighbors and communities, including individual representation cases on a host of areas of law that clients living in poverty often face.

We partner with many local legal services organizations in order to represent our neighbors who could not otherwise afford counsel. In 2024, Sidley’s lawyers handled cases on behalf of underserved, low-income individuals and families in housing, family law, consumer, and public benefits matters. Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office has an annual commitment to taking 12 cases from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Advocacy & Justice Clinic. Sidley remains the top Advocacy & Justice Clinic firm and takes on more cases than its peers.

“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
ACLU of Southern California

“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
Loyola Business Law Clinic

“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
Americans United for Separation of Church and State

“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 identify 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

“Working with Ascend Justice as a fellow was profoundly impactful, as it provided the invaluable opportunity to offer direct legal services to domestic abuse survivors, empowering them to protect themselves and their loved ones. Additionally, it was wonderful to receive such strong support from Sidley before even starting as an associate.”

Claire Ramsey, Chicago
Insurance

“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
Bet Tzedek Legal Services

“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

Posthumous Honorable Discharge For Vietnam Veteran

Sidley Associate Makes History

Protecting Prisoners’ Rights

Justice for Veterans

Capital Litigation

Political Asylum and Immigrants’ Rights

Protecting Civil and Constitutional Rights

Expanding Our Global Impact

Supporting Our Communities