Bingham McCutchen Wins Thurgood Marshall Award

Bingham McCutchen LLP, a national law firm with a strong culture of public service, has been named winner of the Boston Bar Association’s prestigious 2007 Thurgood Marshall Award in recognition of the firm’s extraordinary generosity in providing pro bono legal representation to the needy and its commitment to improving the educational experience of underserved children and youth in the community. The award will be presented at the BBA’s Annual Meeting Luncheon, an event attended by more than 1,200 lawyers and judges Sept. 25 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

“Bingham exemplifies two vital components of the BBA’s mission: access to justice and serving the community,” said BBA President Anthony M. Doniger.  “This is a firm that embraces the truly challenging pro bono projects, those requiring major commitments of time and other resources, and for that I commend them.”

Bingham Chairman Jay S. Zimmerman noted that the BBA award illustrates the firm’s commitment to championing pro bono. “We strongly believe that by channeling our pro bono efforts to areas of greatest needs, we can have a substantial impact,” said Zimmerman. “We’re proud to receive the BBA award, and of our work on the pro bono front.” Lawyers in Bingham’s Federal Street  office have worked on pro bono matters based in Boston and also have collaborated with Bingham lawyers in offices around the country. These matters range from representing detainees at the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to working on behalf of disabled prisoners in Massachusetts and death-row inmates in California, Pennsylvania and Alabama. In addition, the firm is providing pro bono legal representation to Stop Handgun Violence, developing strategies to use the judicial process to advance the cause of rational gun regulation.

Bingham also makes a major commitment to youth and education, providing a brighter future for underserved children and their families. The New York office has made a 15-year commitment to provide pro bono legal support to families in the Say Yes to Education program, which adopts classes of Harlem elementary school students and provides them with post-secondary scholarships if they graduate high school.

In Boston, Bingham volunteers with the Eighth Grade Academy, a program dedicated to helping Boston’s middle-school students improve their writing skills. In addition, the firm partners with the Legal Apprenticeship Program, which introduces middle-school students to the justice system and mentors them as they prepare “cases” for trial at the John J. Moakley U.S. Courthouse.

Bingham McCutchen LLP is a law firm with global capabilities, and nearly 1,000 attorneys in 13 offices. The firm represents clients in high-stakes litigation, complex financing and regulatory matters, government affairs, and a wide variety of sophisticated corporate and technology transactions.