In addition to our firmwide cornerstone projects, we provide 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 on low incomes often face.
We partner with many local legal services organizations in order to represent our neighbors who could not otherwise afford counsel. In 2025, Sidley’s lawyers handled cases on behalf of individuals and families in eviction defense, family law, consumer, and public benefits matters. Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office has an annual commitment to accepting 12 new cases from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center’s Advocacy & Justice Clinic. Sidley remains the top Advocacy & Justice Clinic firm and takes on more cases than its peers.
After an eight-year legal battle, Sidley obtained a fully favorable decision from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for a client whose numerous, debilitating chronic illnesses have kept her from the workforce since 2016. Working in partnership with the Legal Aid Society, which referred the case to the firm, Sidley assembled an extensive evidentiary record consisting of the client’s medical records, physician testimony, and relevant precedents. Sidley also prepared and presented the client for repeated direct and cross-examination to establish that her conditions satisfied the statutory definition of disability. The protracted litigation involved multiple hearings and appeals before two different SSA Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), the SSA Appeals Council, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which eventually remanded the case to a new ALJ for final adjudication. The ALJ found that the client was in fact disabled since 2016, and thus was fully entitled to all benefits retroactively.
A Sidley team in Washington, D.C. secured a successful outcome for a client with serious physical and mental health conditions in an appeal of the Social Security Administration’s denial of disability benefits. Following a fully favorable opinion by the Administrative Law Judge, the SSA granted the client benefits of over $1,500 per month and multiple years of back benefits totaling over $20,000. These life-changing benefits allowed the client to move out of transitional housing, where she has been residing for the past year.
In another matter, a Sidley team in Washington, D.C. secured a successful outcome for a client with serious physical and neurological conditions resulting from a stroke, following the Social Security Administration’s initial denial of disability benefits. The SSA granted the client monthly benefits of over $1,500 and back benefits of over $30,000.
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 in respect of entitlement to benefits. In 2025, we accepted 18 new referrals from our partner organization, Richmond Aid, and represented 12 clients before the First Tier Tribunal, with a success rate of 92%.
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.
A few of our clients shared their gratitude for Sidley’s help:
“That was so much easier than expected. An amazing result. I couldn’t have done it without you both [and your] support and kindness.” – Sidley client
“I’m very pleased with the result of the tribune. I just wanted to thank you for everything you did for me. I couldn’t have done it without you, and I’m so grateful.” – Sidley client
A Sidley team in New York, partnering with Sanctuary for Families, secured a successful outcome for an incarcerated survivor of domestic violence appearing before the parole board. The client was serving a 13-year sentence for vehicular homicide and spent the first four years of incarceration actively participating in rehabilitation efforts to better herself and make amends to her victims. Sidley assisted the client in providing a packet to the parole board documenting her achievements while incarcerated, partnering with organizations in her neighborhood to assist with reentry upon release, and preparing the client for her appearance before the parole board via mock interviews. Through Sidley’s help, the client was granted parole and was reunited with her children and family.
A Sidley team in Century City and Los Angeles secured a three-year domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) on behalf of a client who sought protection from her husband who had harassed, assaulted, and threatened her for years, leading her to seek refuge for weeks at a domestic violence center. The matter was fiercely contested and emotional from start to finish, with experienced and aggressive counsel on the other side. In a hearing spanning nearly four hours, the Sidley team conducted the direct and cross examination and delivered the closing argument. The Sidley team negotiated the terms of visitation and financial support during an impromptu settlement conferral in the hallways of the Van Nuys courthouse. In the end, the judge granted every aspect of the DVRO motion in the client’s favor, including full legal and physical custody of her five children. Behind the scenes, other members of the Sidley team ensured the smooth progression of the litigation, including managing and coordinating the timely filing of all necessary documents and assisting with preparation for the hearing. The Survivor Justice Center referred the case to Sidley.
In partnership with specialist charities Not Beyond Redemption (NBR) and the Free Family Advocacy and Representation Project, our London office provides family law advice, representation, and support to mothers in prison and litigants in person.
In 2025, Sidley contributed nearly 1,700 hours working with NBR to assist over mothers either in or recently released from prison. Sidley teams advised 17 new clients on family law matters in partnership with NBR in 2025.
2025 marked Not Beyond Redemption’s fifth anniversary, which was marked with a reception at the Sidley London office, attended by trustees, volunteers and other supporters.
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 2025, Sidley volunteers attended biweekly clinics, representing 24 litigants in person at the Central Family Court, providing invaluable advice even conducting advocacy in those cases.
A Sidley team represented a father for over a year in a family law dispute. Sidley’s involvement spanned many court hearings and multiple interim matters and applications, culminating in a successful final hearing.
When Sidley first took on the case, contact between the father and his child was taking place on a supervised basis. The Sidley team took control of the litigation and gradually managed to turn it in the father’s favour, despite coming up against specialist family law solicitors and counsel. All the allegations against the father were soon dropped. Eventually, the father obtained a final order that fully vindicated his conduct and granted him a permanent schedule of regular contact.
The client was exceptionally grateful for the hard work of the Sidley team and for the outstanding outcome for him and his child that could never have been achieved without our assistance.
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.
Sidley secured a victory for a tenant who faced eviction proceedings for nonpayment of rent. Sidley attorneys successfully negotiated a favorable settlement agreement for the tenant, which resulted in much needed repairs to his apartment, as well as a partial waiver of rent and an agreement to dismiss all claims against the tenant.
In another case, Sidley represented a family who faced eviction for nonpayment of rent. With Sidley’s advocacy, the court dismissed the landlord’s claims against the tenant when the D.C. Emergency Rental Assistance Program was able to cover the tenant’s outstanding balance.
Due to Sidley’s advocacy in another eviction matter, Sidley was able to settle the case on favorable terms, which resulted in the landlord forgiving all unpaid rent, agreeing to seal the record of the proceedings, and providing neutral references for the client.
Sidley also represented a tenant in a nonpayment of rent case, where Sidley attorneys successfully negotiated withdrawal of the claims against the client. The client was later able to secure new housing.
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.
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.
A team of lawyers in Chicago, including many associates in their first four years of practice, has been working with Greater Chicago Legal Clinic (GCLC) to help expunge or seal stale criminal records in Cook County through GCLC’s Criminal Records Program. Sidley has represented over 40 clients since 2025 and obtained relief for the vast majority of them, including many clients who need the relief in order to access better jobs and living situations. GCLC offers a variety of programs and services to meet the legal needs of underrepresented individuals and families in Greater Chicago beyond the Criminal Records Program, including providing immigration services, homelessness advice and representation, and assistance with family law matters. On May 4, 2026, the Sidley team received the Seventh Circuit Bar Association’s Award for Pro Bono Service for its work on this appeal. Sidley continues to represent the client on remand in the district court.
For the third consecutive year, Sidley participated in the Dallas County Expunction Expo. In 2025, the firm accepted 25 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 96% of our clients and filed 24 expunction petitions, helping our clients overcome barriers to employment and housing opportunities. This number was even higher than last year’s rate of 88% in engaging clients.
