Public and Charitable Service

Firmwide Highlights
Firmwide Highlights
A LETTER FROM THE PUBLIC AND CHARITABLE
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Friends and Colleagues,
When Holland & Knight created a dedicated department
for our public and charitable service efforts five years
ago, we were determined to better integrate our longstanding
pro bono legal work with our other community
service activities and philanthropic initiatives through the
Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation. With our legal and
business knowledge, we knew that we could provide more
comprehensive assistance to the organizations and people
we support.
We are pleased to inform you about our progress toward this
goal in the Mid-Atlantic region and throughout our offices.
The last five pages of this report highlight our work in several
theme areas that cut across our pro bono, community service
and charitable giving work. As you will see, within each
of these areas we have deepened our partnerships with
NGOs, schools and clients that have helped us to identify the
best opportunities to effect positive social change. Beyond
these themes, we have carried out many other projects in a
wide range of areas. These include Rule of Law Initiatives,
domestic violence prevention, protecting unaccompanied
immigrant children and advocating against elder abuse.
In 2013, our firm performed a record number of pro bono and
community service hours. We donated in excess of 68,000
hours in legal services, an equivalent of over $31 million in
value, and spent more than 43,000 hours serving on nonprofit
boards and performing other community service. To support
these efforts, we invested over $2 million into community
organizations and programs.
We remain committed to investing in our communities and
encourage you to join us in this effort. To learn more about
our public and charitable service activities, we invite you to
visit the Community Commitment section of our website.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our community partners,
clients, attorneys and professionals for their dedication and
leadership.
$ Millions
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2013: By the Numbers
1,310
pro bono matters
100
organizations helped through our
annual 9/11 Day of Service
43,507
hours of community service
Investment in Pro Bono
Legal Service
$18
$25
$30 $31
Helping students in need of positive role models
Through the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation’s Opening Doors
for Children program, the firm’s attorneys and staff help students who
are at risk of never realizing their full potential. We partner with schools
and nonprofits in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods to
provide tutoring, serve as mentors and enhance their curricula.
For example, at Charles R. Darwin Elementary School, a public school
in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, students in first to third
grade who are struggling with reading comprehension skills get help
from our volunteers during “power lunches” held in the classrooms.
Through a Reading Is Fundamental program, they take home a
minimum of three books per year to spark their interest in reading.
As part of an incentive for academic success, students get to attend
“honor lunches” where they come to our law office and visit with their
mentors at work.
“Over the years, I have witnessed volunteers
from Holland & Knight make amazing
contributions to students’ learning and
character building. The volunteers not only
teach and read to our students - they are also
great role models demonstrating how hard
work creates success. They motivate Darwin
School students to build the confidence they
need to be outstanding individuals.”
— Mauricio E. Segovia, principal, Charles R. Darwin Elementary
School
Buddy Schulz, Partner
Public and Charitable Service Department Chair
These students also learn about the history of the United States and
are introduced to the legal system through a partnership with the
Constitutional Rights Foundation.
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