Jenner & Block has been recognized by The American Lawyer in its 2015 rankings as the No. 1 law firm in the United States for pro bono service. This is the second consecutive year the firm as ranked No. 1 and the sixth time we have done so in the past eight years. The firm also has been included among the top 10 pro bono programs in the United States every year since the AmLaw initiated the survey in 1990.
In an article published this month titled “Treading Water,” The American Lawyer highlighted the important work of one of Jenner & Block’s Environmental and Workplace Health & Safety lawyers—Gay Sigel.
In 2014, the biggest investment of time—1,553 hours—was for the ongoing representation of environmental groups, including the Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Natural Resources Defense Council in a Clean Water Act suit against the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago over its discharge of raw sewage into area waterways and Lake Michigan. Gay was the lead attorney and presented oral arguments in this case last February. Gay is quoted as saying “If we win, this will change the Chicago rivers from a giant sewage conduit to the swimmable and fishable waterways that the Clean Water Act requires.”
A final judgment was issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirming the District Court ruling in favor of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago on July 9.
We are proud to be a part of the pro bono tradition at Jenner & Block. Congratulations to Gay on this important environmental work and special recognition from The American Lawyer.