Robins Kaplan LLP
800 LaSalle Avenue
2800 LaSalle Plaza
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: (612) 349-8500
www.robinskaplan.com
locations
Atlanta, GA • Boston, MA • Los Angeles, CA • Minneapolis, MN
• Mountain View, CA • New York, NY • Naples, FL
MAJOR DEPARTMENTS & PRACTICES
American Indian Law and Policy • Antitrust • Business
Litigation • Entertainment • Financial • Government and
Internal Investigations • Intellectual Property • Insurance •
Life Sciences • Mass Tort • Medical Malpractice • Personal
Injury • Restructuring and Business Bankruptcy
®
THE STATS
No. of Attorneys: 228
No. of Offices: 7
Chairman: Martin R. Lueck
Hiring Partner(s): Denise Rahne (Minneapolis)
Mark LaConte (Boston)
Hollis Salzman (New York)
Amy Churan (Los Angeles)
Bob Denham (Atlanta)
EMPLOYMENT CONTACT
Diane Frick
Director of Human Resources
Phone: (612) 349-8500
Email: [email protected]
541
Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs, 2016 Edition
Robins Kaplan LLP
Who’s Who
Can associates bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm?
Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or
partners? If so, how many?
Yes
More than 3
How does the firm decide whether to take on a pro bono matter?
Please provide a general description of how much of their time
each of your pro bono coordinators and/or partners spends on
pro bono work and/or administering the firm’s pro bono program
(e.g., less than half of their time, more than half of their time, all
of their time).
The firm’s Pro Bono Chair, Pro Bono Manager, Pro Bono
Coordinator, and members of the Pro Bono Committee
all contribute to the administration of the firm’s pro bono
program. The Chair and members of the Committee contribute
less than half their time to work on pro bono matters and
administering the firm’s pro bono program. The Manager
works half-time and the Coordinator works full-time on
administering the firm’s pro bono program and working on pro
bono matters.
Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s)’s information
below.
Patrick Arenz
Pro Bono Chair
Phone: (612) 349-8500
Email: [email protected]
Chandra M. Kilgriff
Diversity, Inclusion and Pro Bono Manager
Phone: (612) 349-8500
Email: [email protected]
Summra M. Shariff
Pro Bono Coordinator
Phone: (612) 349-8500
Email: [email protected]
Whether a case is taken is determined by a number of factors,
including financial eligibility, the facts and nature of the matter,
the existence of conflicts, and if an attorney is available and
interested in taking the case.
Has the firm signed on to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge?
Yes
What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has
performed pro bono legal work since 2013?
Asylum, Bankruptcy, Civil rights, Community economic
development, Consumer law and small claims court, Disability
benefits, Domestic violence, Education, Elder law, Employment,
Environment, Fair housing/tenants rights, Family law, First
Amendment and constitutional issues, Homeless advocacy,
Immigration, Indigent criminal defense, International human
rights, Juvenile justice reform/children’s rights, Nonprofit
corporate law, Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions,
Nonprofit intellectual property, Parole hearings, Prisoners’
rights, Social Security law, Probate law, Public benefits, Real
estate transactions, The arts and historic preservation, Veterans’
benefits/appeals, Voting rights
Are there areas of law in which, as a matter of policy or practice,
your firm does not perform pro bono work?
None
List up to 10 of your firm’s pro bono clients or partners since
2013, including legal service providers or clearinghouses.
• Advocates for Human Rights
• Alliance for Children’s Rights
Does the firm have a pro bono committee?
Yes
How often does the committee meet?
Quarterly
• Volunteers Lawyers Network
• Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts
• Children’s Law Center of Minnesota
• Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans
• Neighborhood Justice Center
Please describe the composition of the committee.
• Public Counsel
The Committee is composed of 17 attorneys, including partners,
principals, associates and counsel from across the firm’s offices
and practice groups, as well as staff members of the firm.
• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
THE SCOOP
Does your firm have a pro bono policy?
Yes
542
• Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
List up to three representative examples of your firm’s pro
bono matters since 2013. Please limit your answer to a short
paragraph per matter.
• We won a victory in United States District Court that will
allow a mother and her 5 year-old daughter to continue
© 2015 Vault.com Inc.
Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs, 2016 Edition
Robins Kaplan LLP
living in Minnesota with caring and loving family and
friends. Due to marital difficulties, our client and her
daughter moved to the United States from Mexico four years
ago. They were living in St. Paul, Minnesota when, after very
little contact with his daughter, the father sought to have his
daughter returned to Mexico. He filed a petition for their
return under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects
of Child Abduction. We represented the mother at a threeday trial in federal court. Over the course of the trial, we
provided testimony of six witnesses to prove that the child
was well settled in Minnesota. The child and her mother now
look forward to her continuing growth and progress in an
environment with the family, friends, and activities that she
knows and loves.
• Through our work with the Children’s Law Center of
Minnesota (CLC), we work with children who have been
abused and neglected. For example, we represented a child
who had numerous marks on his back, at different stages of
healing. Our client and his sibling told their caseworker that
they have been told not to tell anyone about “whippings.”
Their mother had also given them bleach baths. Our client’s
mother admitted to causing the injuries. She was criminally
charged and admitted to gross misdemeanor malicious
punishment of a child and put on probation. When we took
the case, our client was worried about going home because
he was afraid his mom would beat him again. Throughout
the court process, we were the client’s counsel and voice in
the courtroom. The mother had been abused herself and
committed to the court that she would engage in family
and individual therapy in order to be a good mother to her
children. Over time, the client became comfortable with
reunification under the court’s supervision, which was
accomplished, but not before he was able to say through his
lawyer that he felt safe going home.
• After close to 6 years of representation, our team obtained
asylum for a client and then worked on petitions for
reunification and visa process for his family members. In
a Central African country, our client was detained, beaten,
and tortured numerous times by government officials for
his participation in a peaceful rights advocacy group. In
January 2007, government officials came to our client’s home
and pointed a gun at his wife. They dragged our client from
his home and detained and beat him. Following his release,
our client fled the country and began his pursuit for asylum.
His wife and children also fled from the family’s home after
the client left. They were finally reunited after six years of
separation. Recently, our team succeeded in reunifying our
client’s last family member, an adopted daughter, who will
join the family in Minnesota soon.
List up to three pro bono matters that are highlights (e.g.,
a Supreme Court case). Please limit your answer to a short
paragraph per matter.
• We represented two labor union members in a First
Amendment lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis which,
as part of its deal with Major League Baseball to host the
2014 All-Star game at Target Field, created “Clean Zones”
covering most of Minneapolis and large portions of St.
Paul. The Clean Zone Ordinance prohibited all parades,
Visit www.vault.com for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it’s
really like to work in an industry or company—and how to position yourself to land that job.
rallies, signs, and sales of food, beverages, and merchandise
in those zones for two weeks before and after the All-Star
game. Our clients wanted to hold a rally a week after the
game in Minneapolis commemorating the 70th anniversary
of the police shooting of labor union demonstrators in that
area. The Warehouse District fell within one of the Clean
Zones. When the City refused to respond to our request for
the necessary permits, we filed suit in U.S. District Court
in Minneapolis, claiming a violation of the plaintiffs’ First
Amendment right to free speech. Within 48 hours, the City
Council met in emergency session and imposed far more
narrow limits on the area and timing of the Clean Zones. As
part of a settlement of the suit, the City issued all necessary
permits to our clients free of charge, and their rally went
ahead as scheduled.
• Our firm helped to address the legal needs of the
unprecedented number of unaccompanied children and
families arriving at the southern border. Currently, our
attorneys represent several Central American clients who
have fled violence in their home countries to seek asylum
and refuge in the United States. For example, we represent
a teenager from Central America who grew up in extreme
poverty. At the age of 13, he was forced to leave his family
home and travel through dangerous conditions. His
attorneys sought Special Immigrant Juvenile (“SIJ”) status,
which would allow the client to remain in the United States
as a legal permanent resident where he can complete his
education. SIJ status is available to children who have been
found by a state juvenile court, after an evidentiary hearing,
to be “abused, neglected or abandoned” by their parent(s) and
that it is not in the best interests of the child to return to their
native country. In our client’s case, the court investigator
noted that it was remarkable that he survived the hardships.
Following a hearing, the state court entered the necessary
order and finding of fact, declaring that our client was
“abused, neglected or abandoned” and should not return to
the dangerous conditions in his home country. Last fall we
achieved a critical milestone where the client’s Petition for SIJ
status was granted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services. Recently, attorneys embarked on the final step of
the federal immigration proceeding by filing his Application
to Register Permanent Residence. We are awaiting their final
decision on the application.
• Our attorneys represented a family, with eight children,
facing foreclosure and eviction proceedings for a purported
default on their home mortgage. Following the issuance
of the original loan, our clients entered into a loan
modification and made all payments as required. The loan
was later assigned to another loan servicer that ignored or
failed to recognize the loan modification and declared our
client in default. Despite repeated requests to confirm the
modification, the loan servicer continued with a trustee’s
sale of their property. The buyer then initiated eviction
proceedings against our client. To halt the eviction and
return title to our clients, our firm and Public Counsel filed
suit for violations of California Code of Civil Procedure
§ 2920, et seq., for breach of contract and other relief. The
eviction was halted and after a series of negotiations, the
lender confirmed the loan modification and set aside the
trustee’s deed, returning title of the home to our client. In
543
Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs, 2016 Edition
Robins Kaplan LLP
addition, we obtained a monetary settlement paid to the
client and to Public Counsel for their attorneys’ fees.
BY THE NUMBERS
What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your U.S. office(s)
spent performing pro bono legal services, as defined by the Law
Firm Pro Bono Challenge, in 2013 and 2014? Do not include summer
associate or non-lawyer pro bono hours in your answers.
Total number of pro bono hours in 2013: 19,557
Total number of pro bono hours in 2014: 21,829
What was the attorney headcount in your firm’s U.S. offices?
Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2013: 234
What is the requirement and to whom does it apply?
The firm expects full-time attorneys to perform at least 50
hours of pro bono work per year. Part-time attorneys should
contribute the equivalent of the percentage of hours that they
are working.
Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work?
Yes
Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can
be applied toward the billable hour target?
No
Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2014: 229
Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining
bonuses?
Using the number of attorneys listed above, what is the average
number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm’s U.S. office(s)
during the following years?
PRO BONO POINTS
Average number of hours per attorney in 2013: 84
Average number of hours per attorney in 2014: 95
What percentage of attorneys employed during 2013 and 2014 in
your firm’s U.S. office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono during
that calendar year?
Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2013: 81-90%
Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2014: 71-80%
N/A
What training opportunities are open to associates working on
pro bono matters?
We offer our associates a variety of training and mentoring
opportunities on pro bono matters, starting with in-house
expertise from partners and attorneys who are experienced in
handling complex pro bono cases. We also routinely host and
sponsor trainings on a variety of topics in partnership with
legal service providers throughout the year.
Yes
In 2013, we developed the Well & Good writing program to
assist our associates in developing sound writing principles
while producing meaningful written work for one of our
partnering pro bono legal service agencies. In 2014, the firm’s
new first-year associates worked on legal writing projects for
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, the
American Legion, and the Children’s Law Center. The associates
participated in skills-based trainings, received feedback and
writing mentoring from each other and senior members of
the firm, and ultimately provided one of our pro bono partner
organizations with a much-needed written work product on an
issue that is timely and relevant to that organization.
Are those evaluations taken into account in determining salary or
bonuses?
Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono
matters?
Yes, they are taken into account when determining salary
Yes
Are those evaluations taken into account in determining
advancement within the firm?
Please indicate how many total hours and average hours per
person your summer associates spent performing pro bono in
2013 and 2014.
Total hours summer associates spent on pro bono work
SUPERVISION AND EVALUATIONS
Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters?
Yes
Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide
written evaluations of associates’ work on pro bono matters?
Yes
Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm?
2013: 626
Yes
2014: 399
544
© 2015 Vault.com Inc.
Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs, 2016 Edition
Robins Kaplan LLP
Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work
2013: 39
2014: 29
Percentage of summer associates in your firm’s U.S. office(s)
engaged in pro bono work
2013: 81%
2014: 71%
Please provide any additional information about pro bono
opportunities available to summer associates.
Summer associates are integrated in all aspects of pro bono
work with our attorneys. We introduce summer associates to
our pro bono program at the beginning of the summer, and
encourage them to reach out to the firm’s attorneys for specific
opportunities that interest them. Recent summer associate
projects have included interviewing veterans at a legal clinic,
assisting with trial preparation for an asylum client, and
researching issues for a pro bono appellate case.
Does the firm have established programs, such as externships,
that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting?
No
What other law-related public interest and community service
programs (that are not “pro bono” as defined by the Law Firm
Pro Bono Challenge) do you offer and manage? For example, list
any law school collaborations and public interest scholarships,
auctions at law schools, monetary support, or fellowships.
• The firm and Medtronic co-sponsor an Equal Justice Works
Fellowship, which provides funding for a Fellow to work
on an innovative legal project while hosted by a non-profit
organization. Our Fellow will be hosted by the Minnesota
Coalition for Battered Women and will undertake a project
focused on ensuring that Minnesota domestic violence
victims can access confidential healthcare by expanding
confidentiality protections; educating individuals about
protections; and providing victims with legal services
• Through the Minnesota Justice Foundation, the firm funds
a summer public interest clerkship for a law student to work
with legal aid offices and other public interest organizations
serving low-income and under-represented Minnesotans.
Students assist legal aid attorneys with a broad range of legal
issues, including family, consumer, housing, immigration,
and environmental law.
• The firm funds scholarships at the University of Georgia
School of Law and the University of Wisconsin Law School
for students from groups that have been historically
disadvantaged to promote diversity within the law school, the
legal profession, and the broader legal community.
• We partner with Just the Beginning – A Pipeline
Organization (“JTB”), a nonprofit organization whose
mission is to increase diversity in the legal profession. The
Visit www.vault.com for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it’s
really like to work in an industry or company—and how to position yourself to land that job.
firm has partnered with JTB since 2009 for the Twin Cities
Summer Legal Institute for high school students of color.
• Our firm participates in the STEP-UP Achieve summer
internship program, a job program that matches Minneapolis
youth ages 16-21 with employment opportunities in nonprofit, private businesses, government, and education. For
many years, the firm has employed a STEP-UP intern in the
Diversity, Inclusion & Pro Bono Department. The goal of this
internship is to help encourage and further inspire youth
toward a career in law.
• The firm and its attorneys support numerous law schools
and legal services organizations around the country through
financial contributions and board service.
What non-law related volunteer opportunities does your firm
offer? For example, list any work with high school students
and non-legal volunteerism for organizations like Habitat for
Humanity.
The Robins Kaplan LLP Community Partnership Committee
offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for the whole firm.
Recent opportunities have included the following:
The 2014-2015 school year marks the firm’s five year anniversary
partnering with the Minnesota chapter of the Everybody Wins!
Power Lunch Reading Program. The program is a national
children’s literacy and mentoring nonprofit. A group of 26
dedicated firm members met once a week with kindergarten
and first grade students at a local elementary school.
Consistently spending time together helped to create a mutually
rewarding connection for all participants in which a true
love of reading could be fostered. At the end of the program,
the students were invited to the office for a celebratory lunch
and received a book to add to their very own home library
collections.
In 2014, firm members in Minneapolis came together for a
service opportunity at Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit
Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children
hungry in body and spirit. Volunteers hand-pack meals
specifically formulated for malnourished children, and then
shipped to nearly 70 countries around the world. The team
packed enough meals to feed 66 children for a year.
The Boston office hosted the Twelfth Annual Robins
Kaplan LLP Golf Tournament for the benefit of Special
Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) on September 18, 2014. The
tournament—which was held at the Myopia Hunt Club in
South Hamilton, Massachusetts—experienced a record year,
with more than 119 golfers participating and more than $56,000
being donated to SOMA. To date, the event has raised more
than $559,500.
In November 2014, firm members in Minneapolis cooked and
served dinner to more than 100 guests at Simpson Housing
Services, whose mission is to house, support and advocate
for people experiencing homelessness. In December, the
Minneapolis office donated gifts for the shelter during a week
long holiday drive.
545
Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs, 2016 Edition
Robins Kaplan LLP
Attorneys in the Boston office came together with more than
500 other attorneys statewide to participate in the 2014 Walk
to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid. Participants heard from various
speakers about the critical role that civil legal aid plays in
ensuring equal access to justice. They then visited their state
Senators and Representatives to encourage them to provide
$17 million in funding for civil legal aid in the fiscal year 2015
Massachusetts state budget.
In May 2015, members of the Minneapolis office participated in
the Get Your Wag On! Walk for Animals and raised money to
benefit the Animal Human Society.
Firm members packed and delivered meals for Open Arms
of Minnesota. Open Arms is the only nonprofit organization
in Minnesota that cooks and delivers free meals specifically
tailored to meet the nutritional needs of people living with
cancer, HIV/AIDS, MS, and ALS.
Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won
since 2013 for its pro bono work.
• The National Legal Aid and Defender Association
(NLADA) selected Robins Kaplan LLP to receive the 2014
Beacon of Justice Award for the firm’s unique work with
the Minneapolis campus of the Jeremiah Program. The firm
received the recognition for creating and implementing
an innovative pro bono partnership with the Jeremiah
Program to improve the lives of single mothers and their
children. For the past two years, Robins Kaplan LLP
attorneys have volunteered at legal clinics to provide holistic
legal services by working in conjunction with the Jeremiah
Program life coaches to help the mothers end the cycle of
poverty and become more empowered. In addition, firm
members have volunteered to cook dinner for the moms
and children and have donated welcome baskets and other
essential items.
• The American Lawyer magazine named Robins Kaplan LLP
to its 2014 A-List. The A-List is made up of the top 20 firms
in the nation. Measurements included revenue per lawyer,
associate satisfaction, diversity, and pro bono. The firm
was ranked #11 in 2014 and #7 in 2013 for pro bono by the
magazine based on the average number of pro bono hours
546
per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who performed at
least 20 hours of pro bono.
• In 2014, Robins Kaplan LLP partner Roman Silberfeld
received Public Counsel’s Founders Award, which has been
presented to only 5 others in 45 years. Roman was honored
for his outstanding commitment to justice and 20 years of
service to the organization.
• Robins Kaplan LLP attorney Sally Silk received the 2014
Outstanding Service Award in Private Practice from
the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF). The award is
presented each year to one attorney in private practice in the
Minnesota legal community. Sally received the award for her
demonstrated commitment to providing and expanding pro
bono legal services to low-income and disadvantaged clients.
• In 2013, Vault ranked Robins Kaplan LLP as the #2 best law
firm in the country for Pro Bono.
• The Century City Chamber of Commerce presented Robins
Kaplan LLP with the 2013 Citizen of the Year award for its
pro bono representations and philanthropic commitment.
• The Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) recognized
59 of our lawyers as 2014 Northstar Lawyers and 46 of our
lawyers as 2013 Northstar Lawyers. To be named, a lawyer
needed to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono work.
Please add any additional information about your firm’s pro bono
program.
For more than 75 years, the culture at Robins Kaplan LLP has
been one that calls on us to rewrite the odds for those who are
less fortunate and ensure that they have access to our justice
system. We do pro bono work because it is the right thing to
do. Since 2009, more than 6% of the firm’s total billable hours
have been contributed to pro bono legal services. The firm’s pro
bono policy sets forth our expectation that each attorney in
our firm provide at least 50 hours of pro bono work each year.
To provide zealous representation for every pro bono client
with the highest level of commitment, professionalism, and
support, pro bono hours are uncapped. The firm has a Pro Bono
Committee comprised of 17 attorneys and led by a Pro Bono
Chair to oversee pro bono matters and ensure that resources
and training are available to attorneys.
© 2015 Vault.com Inc.