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“The hallmark of the Firm is its dedication to the higher calling, that is, the lawyer’s obligation to assume an active role in the pursuit of a just and ordered society, in helping to solve the emerging problems of social, economic and political importance and to serve the public as his or her client, as she or he would serve a full-paying client.”

Bernard G. Segal, a founding partner of the Firm.

Since the founding of Schnader Harrison in 1935, one of the most distinguishing features of the Firm has been our commitment to pro bono and public service. Our pro bono heritage is reflected today in landmark litigation cases, in the support and encouragement we provide to all of our attorneys in their pro bono efforts, and in the pro bono awards and recognition that our lawyers have received, on both a local and national level.

We have institutionalized our commitment to pro bono service in the following ways:

10% of Time Credit. We allow any lawyer in the Firm to receive full credit toward his or her work expectations for matters devoted to pro bono, up to 10 percent of fee hours billed each year. For example, an associate billing 1,800 hours to fee matters in a given year would receive full credit for up to 180 hours of pro bono time in meeting his or her billable hour goal. Pro bono service is regarded as a favorable factor in partnership evaluations.

25-Hour Expectation. Most of our lawyers spend well over 25 hours each year on pro bono matters and our attorneys spend an average of about 60-70 hours on pro bono matters each year. But to encourage all attorneys to participate in pro bono matters, a number of years ago, the Firm established an expectation that all attorneys would spend at least 25 hours a year on pro bono matters.

3% ABA Commitment. As a Firm, we are a Signatory of the Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge. As a Signatory of the Challenge, we pledge to devote at least 3 percent of our time on an annual basis to pro bono matters. This is the actual provision of legal services to the indigent, the disadvantaged, the needy, and the incarcerated, without compensation. This does not include serving on nonprofit boards, participating in bar associations, and being involved in our communities – all of which we also do.

Earl G. Harrison Awards. Each year, we present the Earl G. Harrison Pro Bono Award to a Firm attorney with a distinguished record of pro bono service. We also honor a Firm attorney or staff member who demonstrates an unfailing commitment to helping others in the community with the Earl G. Harrison Community Service Award.

We are very proud of our pro bono record, and we encourage you to read on.

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The Higher Calling Of The Law Requires...

Inclusion. When Pennsylvania Attorney General William Schnader left politics and sought to return to private practice in Philadelphia, he discovered that no major Philadelphia law firms would hire his protégé, Bernard Segal, a Jewish attorney. In response, in 1935, William Schnader, Bernard Segal and Francis Lewis formed a new law firm, Schnader & Lewis -- the first religiously integrated law firm in Philadelphia.

Innovation. Because Schnader was religiously integrated from its founding, many local clients in the Philadelphia area would not retain the firm in the 1930s and 1940s. Accordingly, the firm sought to represent larger, national companies.

Vision. Firm founder William Schnader was president of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, which drafted and developed the Uniform Commercial Code. He successfully campaigned for the Code's adoption in 49 states.

The pursuit of freedom. At the request of President Truman, firm founder Earl Harrison, as Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, toured displaced persons camps at the end of World War II and recommended to the President that displaced persons in Europe be permitted to resettle in Palestine. His report was a major factor that led to American support for the establishment of Israel.

The pursuit of justice. Firm founder Earl Harrison testified on behalf of an African-American student denied entry to the University of Texas School of Law because of his race. The case challenged the "separate but equal" doctrine, as applied to state law schools and laid the foundation for Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the lower courts' decisions and ordered the University of Texas to admit qualified black applicants.

Courage. Firm founder Bernard Segal convinced the Philadelphia bar to defend nine accused Communists pro bono. The defendants were convicted but their cases were thrown out on appeal. As a result, the Justice Department abandoned Smith Act prosecutions across the country.

The pursuit of justice. When George Wallace threatened to block integration of the University of Alabama, Schnader’s Bernard Segal drafted a statement in opposition. He and Jerome Shestack called lawyers all over the country requesting their support. The statement was published in the Birmingham News with 53 prominent lawyer signatories and provided support for President Kennedy's Executive Order federalizing the Alabama National Guard.

The pursuit of justice. In the wake of George Wallace's efforts to impede the integration of the University of Alabama, and at the urging of Schnader’s Bernard Segal, President Kennedy convened 244 lawyers at the White House to ask them to move the battle for civil rights and racial equality to the courts. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was born and Jerome Shestack became its full-time executive director while continuing to practice at Schnader.

Inclusion. Firm founder Bernard Segal was chair of the ABA’s Committee on the Federal Judiciary. He advocated the appointment of federal judges of all genders and races.

Inclusion. Firm founder Bernard Segal was the first Jewish person to serve as Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He encouraged the bar into public service and expanded its racial horizons.

Inclusion. Schnader was one of the first major Philadelphia firms to hire a female attorney.

Diversity. Schnader was a founding member of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group, which aims to increase the number of diverse attorneys in-house and in private practice.

Inclusion. The firm appointed Albert Dandridge as Chief Diversity Officer and charged him with increasing and developing our bench of diverse attorneys.

Service. The firm adopted Caton Village (now closed), a halfway house for women in Philadelphia, where we provided free legal clinics and social and educational activities for its residents.

Service. Schnader lawyers regularly represent undocumented children who were abused or abandoned by their parents. We help these children obtain guardians, stop removal proceedings, and begin the path to citizenship.

Service. As U.S. veterans waited an average of four years for a ruling on the denial of their disability benefits, Schnader attorneys led a campaign advocating for a solution to address the backlog.

The pursuit of justice. Schnader attorneys represented Guantanamo Bay detainees, advocating for fair treatment and due process against a byzantine legal landscape.

Service. With a nonprofit partner, Schnader attorneys and staff designed and taught a pilot life skills seminar for young adults aging out of the foster care system. The program included lessons on securing vital documents, opening a bank account, looking for jobs and going to an interview.

Service. Schnader attorneys help middle school students in Pittsburgh set up a youth court, prepare for mock trials and draft a bill of rights for their school. The students learn about Constitutional law, advocacy and restorative justice from participating in these programs.

Service. Bernard Segal, a founder of the firm, believed that Schnader's hallmark is its "dedication to the higher calling of the law," which he defined as "the lawyer's obligation to assume an active role in the pursuit of a just and ordered society, in helping to solve the emerging problems of social, economic and political importance, and to serve the public as his or her client, as she or he would serve a full-paying client."

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