Pro Bono

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Last fall, Proskauer attorneys filed an amicus brief on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and ACLU of Massachusetts (ACLUM) in Commonwealth v. Arias, SJC-13816. On April 15, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its opinion in the case, holding that police violated Article 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights by waiting more than 24 hours to stop Jose Arias after observing him commit a civil traffic infraction while tailing him as part of a drug investigation. The SJC reversed the denial of Mr. Arias’s Motion to Suppress, vacated his conviction, and remanded the case to the Superior Court.

On 23 February 2026, colleagues from Proskauer’s London and Paris offices gathered for the Annual Golden Gavel Awards, an evening dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary contributions of our people to the Firm’s Pro Bono, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Community Engagement & Inclusion (CEI) efforts.

The event opened with a thoughtful fireside conversation moderated by Bruno Bertrand-Delfau, featuring Matthew Thornton (Head of Ardian UK, COO and CFO of Ardian UK and MD of Ardian), Ana Ćorić (Foundation Partnerships Manager, Ardian), Dorothy Murray and Michelle Omotayo. The discussion explored the Ardian Foundation’s mission and priorities, and highlighted how collaboration between law firms and clients can amplify the impact of social and community initiatives.

Following the conversation, the Firm honored the exceptional efforts of our colleagues whose work continues to strengthen communities and advance access to justice. The award categories and those recognized are outlined below.

In partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project (ACLU VRP) and the ACLU of South Carolina, Proskauer filed a lawsuit on behalf of the NAACP of South Carolina and individual South Carolina voters seeking to enjoin three South Carolina voting laws that restrict absentee voting and voter assistance. South Carolina’s restrictions are similar to laws enacted by several other states, but the new South Carolina laws conflict with—and thus are pre-empted by—federal law, specifically by Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended (VRA), which provides that voters who are blind, disabled, or unable to read or write can obtain assistance from a person of their choosing when voting.

A Proskauer team, along with Disability Rights New York (DRNY), Children’s Rights (CR) and the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), reached a preliminary settlement agreement with the State of New York in C.K. v. McDonald, a federal class action lawsuit addressing the State’s failure to provide Medicaid-eligible children with intensive home-and community-based mental health services.

On July 2, 2025, in a landmark decision for reproductive rights, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that a law on the books from 175 years ago “does not ban abortion in the State of Wisconsin,” ending a three-year legal battle over the status of reproductive rights in the state. A Proskauer team filed an amicus brief in partnership with co-counsel Public Rights Project (“PRP”) on behalf of local elected officials to support the Plaintiff-Respondent in Kaul v. Urmanski and urge the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reach this conclusion.

Over the past few months, attorneys, staff, summer associates and interns across Proskauer’s U.S. offices have been volunteering with organizations to address food insecurity in their communities, a central focus of the Firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. Partnering with organizations like New York Common Pantry (New York City), D.C. Central Kitchen (Washington, D.C.), The People Concern (Los Angeles), Rosie’s Place (Boston), and Chicago Common Pantry (Chicago), Proskauer’s volunteers contributed over 300 hours of service, helping to distribute over 64,000 meals. In addition to supporting these impactful organizations, volunteers had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the growing issue of food insecurity in the communities where they live and work.