July 6, 2010

American Lawyer magazine, in its July 2010 edition containing its annual report on law firm pro bono programs, ranked Schiff Hardin number 50 among the 200 highest revenue grossing United States law firms for the calendar year 2009.* This is a substantial increase from Schiff Hardin's 2008 performance — also noteworthy — when American Lawyer ranked Schiff Hardin's pro bono program at number 66.

Ronald S. Safer, Schiff Hardin's managing partner, praised the firm's achievements: "Pro bono is a Schiff Hardin hallmark. It engages the vast majority of our attorneys in virtually all our practice areas, and it requires substantial personal sacrifice and hard work, especially during these difficult economic times. I salute our attorneys and support staff for their ongoing commitment to pro bono work. The need is great — our efforts need to be even greater going forward."

*American Lawyer's methodology is as follows: half of a firm's score is based on average pro bono hours worked per lawyer, and half on the percentage of lawyers performing more than 20 hours of pro bono work. Calculations are based on United States offices only. American Lawyer defines pro bono as legal services donated to organizations or individuals that could not otherwise afford them. It does not include work done by paralegals or summer associates, nor time spent on bar association work, on non legal work for charities, or on boards of nonprofit organizations.