Law Schools

Elite Law Firm And Law Schools Team Up For Social Justice Initiative

Working together to take on the important issues of our time.

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Last week, litigation boutique Hueston Hennigan — known for their above market bonuses — announced they are teaming up with top law schools, namely Columbia, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale to apply their trial expertise (and checkbook) to social justice issues.

The launch of the Social Justice Legal Foundation is backed by a $10 million pledge by the firm. Part of the firm’s financial pledge is five two-year fellowships, designed to create “the next generation of leading trial lawyers in the public sector.” Initial staffing at the firm will be an executive director, two full-time staff attorneys, five Hueston Hennigan fellows, and pro bono attorney support from trial lawyers at Hueston Hennigan.

According to the firm, the mission of the Foundation is to “combine public interest issue expertise and elite academic resources with private sector experience in order to bring a fresh approach to curating and pursuing national trial work advancing social justice and equity.” And they promise to bring these important cases to trial, with John Hueston, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board, saying, “I look forward to working with our advisors, fellows, staff and pro bono attorneys to take to trial some of the most important cases affecting social justice.” The Foundation will rotate its primary focus every two years from the following list of current concerns: economic justice, housing/homeless discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant justice, Native American discrimination, voting rights, and criminal justice reform.

Excitement for the project is high. Moez Kaba, a partner at Hueston Hennigan and Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Foundation, stated:

“We have long thought to launch a foundation that would help achieve lasting social justice, equality, and equity through skilled trial advocacy.  We are inspired by the activists, academics, and legal luminaries that have joined our Board of Advisors, and excited to have our first class of fellows.  It’s an awesome task, and a responsibility all Hueston Hennigan attorneys take seriously.”

While Advisory Board Member and Dean for Social Justice Initiatives & Public Service Lawyering at Columbia Law School Erica Smock said:

“We are excited to collaborate on this first-in-the-nation initiative. We look forward to SJLF’s meaningful contributions to the broad network of public interest organizations who have been focused on the fight for social justice and equality.”

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It will definitely be fascinating to see the work this collaboration is able to get done.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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