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Firm offers full time pro bono, full pay [by Jim Dunlap] Holland & Knight community service fellowships lure top talent.
Most major law firms trumpet their com-
worked with Laura Fernandez, a graduate of
class at Harvard, Yale and NYU, and for the
mitment to pro bono work, but the Holland
Harvard University, a 2002 Yale Law School
first time we recruited directly from the U.S.
& Knight national firm has literally put its
grad, and one of Holland & Knight’s first
Supreme Court.”
money where its mouth is. Participants in the
Smith Fellowship recipients. Holland & Knight has traditionally been
firm’s Chesterfield Smith Fellowship Program do nothing but pro bono work for their
“An attorney working with us told me Laura
among the nation’s leaders in pro bono
first two years with the firm - but receive full
had a great fellowship, but hadn’t told any-
service commitment, at 50 hours per lawyer
salary and partnership track credit for the
one about it,” Rohr said. When Fernandez
per year, or 60,000 hours firm-wide. Told of
entire time.
told her the details, Rohr wasted no time
the H&K program, Equal Justice Works (for-
calling Stephen Hanlon, the firm’s Commu-
merly NAPIL) head David Stern said, “That’s
nity Services Team director, in the Washing-
absolutely typical of Holland & Knight.” Lynn
had a Community Service Team program for
ton, D.C. office, to apply. After spending the
Schultz-Writsel, the organization’s com-
pro bono work since 1990. In 1999, the firm
summer of 2002 in the firm’s Atlanta office
munications director, said, “That’s not only
conceived the idea of the Smith Fellowships,
working primarily on capital punishment
financial, but a significant investment in kind
named for former firm president Chester-
cases with the Southern Center for Human
on their part. We certainly applaud that com-
field Smith. Selected law students spend the
Rights, Rohr returned to the Atlanta office to
mitment.”
summer following their second year with the
begin her two-year Smith Fellowship as an
firm - half of the summer working with public
H&K associate after graduation and the Bar
Although the full salary allows students
interest advocacy groups and half doing bill-
exam this summer.
to pursue their pro bono interests without
Holland & Knight, a 1,200-attorney firm, has
able work for the firm. Those who perform
worrying about how they will repay law
as expected are invited to join the firm as
The program represents a significant finan-
school loans, Rohr says there is more to the
full-fledged Smith Fellows after graduation
cial commitment on the firm’s behalf. Hanlon
program’s allure.
- unless they are chosen for a federal clerk-
did not put an exact dollar figure on it, but
ship - and spend the next two years working
since all Smith Fellows earn a full associ-
“I really don’t think any of us are in it be-
strictly on pro bono cases.
ate salary, the outlay figures to be over $2
cause this is great pay,” Rohr said. “H&K
million for the eight two-year fellowships in
spends a lot of time ensuring that the people
salary, not to mention support service costs.
in the program are really devoted to the mis-
The first class of Smith Fellows consists
sion of the program.”
of five first year associates and three who will join the firm upon graduation from law
On the other hand, the program has rewards
school or, in several cases, completion
for the firm over and above the satisfaction of
This story appeared in the January 2003
of federal clerkships. And what a class it
providing pro bono service to under-served
edition of The National Jurist, www.nation-
is - one Rhodes Scholar, one former U.S.
clients. First and foremost, it has opened
aljurist.com.
Supreme Court law clerk, and all eight are
up new recruiting channels for some of the
graduates of Harvard, Yale, NYU or George-
country’s top student talent.
town law schools. Gretchen Rohr, the Rhodes Scholar in the group, worked with the NAACP
“We have not always been a national firm,”
Legal Defense Fund in New York after gradu-
Hanlon said. “We are now, although we’re
ating from Oxford University’s School of
sort of the new kid on the block, and this is
Jurisprudence and completing her first year
our way of introducing ourselves. We’re now
at Georgetown Law School. While there, she
able to attract students from the top of the
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