San Francisco

San Francisco attorneys regularly represent pro bono clients in a variety of litigation and transactional matters, including those involving applications for political asylum, and family law and landlord and tenant disputes.  The office obtains much of this work through its involvement with local pro bono referral organizations such as the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (in which our partners hold leadership positions), and the San Francisco Bar Association's Homeless Advocacy Project.  Each summer, our summer associates have the opportunity to participate in the clinical program offered by the Homeless Advocacy Project. Participation in this program allows summer associates to obtain hands-on experience working directly with a client on matters involving appeals of benefit decisions to the Social Security Administration or the defense of landlord eviction proceedings.   

Although much of the San Francisco office's pro bono legal work is focused on indigent legal services, our office also represents non-profit, civic and other charitable clients in non-indigent pro bono matters in which we determine if the representation will confer a benefit on a large portion of the public.  A recent success story involves our representation of the Natural Resources Defense Council in its continuing bid to restore life to the San Joaquin River.  This litigation, which arose from the unlawful diversion of water from the San Joaquin River to Central Valley farmers, has been ongoing for 18 years.  Recently, after 9 months of continuous settlement negotiations, partner Philip Atkins-Pattenson led a team of attorneys who helped reach an agreement with several state and federal agencies and Central Valley farmers for the restoration of and, ultimately, the reintroduction of salmon to, the San Joaquin River.  This litigation and the ultimate settlement was an extremely complicated undertaking.  The final restoration of the river will occur over 20 years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.