The law firm of Holland & Knight joined the List Project as its founding partner in 2007 and has had over 100 participating attorneys and paralegals around the world. They have been assigned the case-load of Iraqis who have already fled to neighboring countries (and are therefore technically considered ‘refugees’). This case-load represents approximately 65% of the Iraqis on the List, with refugees scattered across the region in Syria, Jordan, U.A.E., Egypt, Lebanon, and other countries.
For its work with the List Project, the firm received the 2008 National Law Journal Pro Bono Award and was a 2010 Beacon of Justice Award recipient. The attorneys in the firm have dedicated thousands of pro bono hours in counseling hundreds of Iraqis who are working their way through the complicated, multi-step application process.
Background on Holland & Knight LLP:
Holland & Knight is nationally known for its commitment to pro bono work. In 1990, the firm established its Community Services Team (CST) to more effectively marshal its resources to provide legal representation to those who cannot afford it. The CST is a structured, institutionalized department within the firm, drawing on all of the firm’s resources and is the largest law firm full-time pro bono practice group in the nation. Public Counsel, the largest pro bono organization in the world, awarded Holland & Knight its prestigious 2007 Law Firm Pro Bono Award. This award is presented annually to a law firm or corporate legal department for leadership and advocacy on behalf of those who are indigent, vulnerable and victimized. The American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities awarded its second Pro Bono Service Award to Holland & Knight for supporting the section’s mission of securing and protecting human rights, civil liberties and social justice by providing countless hours of legal service.
The CST lawyers and Smith Fellows concentrate their efforts on cases with significant issues affecting large numbers of people. They are frequently assisted by other lawyers throughout the firm. This institutionalized commitment to pro bono work has produced significant results. Holland & Knight has represented thousands of people with legal problems who otherwise would have been denied access to the legal system.