An ethic of public service is deeply rooted in Pierce Atwood’s history and culture. The firm also has a long and proud history of supporting a wide range of nonprofit and charitable organizations in the various communities in which we live and work. We are proud that so many of our attorneys and staff devote their time to important causes and organizations.
It is our goal that each of our attorneys will dedicate at least 50 hours each year to pro bono and community service, and many of our attorneys meet and exceed that goal by supporting a wide range of organizations across the U.S. and internationally. In 2014, we launched the Janet D. Eustis Memorial Staff Volunteer Time-Off Program, to empower our staff to get even more involved in their communities. Staff members are given one paid day off each year to volunteer for a nonprofit organization of their choice. As a firm, we hold an annual Day of Community Service. Since 2004, our attorneys and staff leave the office together to work on a service project for a deserving charitable organization.
As we have grown, and to better manage and coordinate the various fundraising efforts, we have established a Charitable Giving Committee. The committee’s mission is to identify a special charity or nonprofit to be the beneficiary of the firm’s yearlong, firmwide fundraising programs. We are pleased to also support nonprofit and charitable organizations in our local communities, and will direct a portion of our fundraising efforts there as well.
And in an effort to recognize outstanding pro bono and community service contributions, and encourage all employees to become involved in their communities, we created an annual Pro Bono and Community Service Awards program. Real estate and environmental attorney Daniel Bailey is our 2023 “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year.” Dan recorded nearly 149 hours of pro bono work, devoted largely to Hale Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides a range of educational and recreational opportunities for thousands of children, teens, and adults of diverse backgrounds and economic status on 1,100+ acres of forests, ponds, and meadows in Westwood and Dover, Massachusetts. Dan’s longstanding and extensive pro bono commitment to Hale has involved various real estate and land use projects. For the past year and a half, Dan has devoted a considerable amount of time assisting with drafting a conservation restriction that will allow Hale to continue its educational and recreational activities, while at the same time preserving approximately 900 acres in an open and natural condition forever.
Pierce Atwood's Commitment to the Community
Pierce Atwood Pro Bono Leadership Team
Emily L. Cooke: Pro Bono partner & Portland office pro bono leader
207.791.1396 ecooke@pierceatwood.com
Pierce Atwood is pleased to represent numerous individuals and organizations ona pro bono basis, and has formed a particularly close relationship with these organizations. Click here to read more about our pro bono partners.
In addition to supporting the efforts of attorneys to provide pro bono legal services, Pierce Atwood also recognizes the many meaningful volunteer contributions made by our staff. In 2014, the firm announced the Janet D. Eustis Memorial Volunteer Time Off Program. Through the VTO program, staff members receive one paid day off each year to volunteer their time to organizations that positively impact the lives of others. Janet Eustis was a Pierce Atwood legal assistant for 15 years whose commitment to her community inspired everyone who knew her, and whose selflessness reflected the best of our firm’s tradition of service.