Barnes & Thornburg has a long tradition of pro bono service nationally, regionally, and at the local level to persons of lesser means and to nonprofit organizations. The time our attorneys devote to legal and civic pro bono work is valued equally with standard legal services provided to traditional clients.

The variety of pro bono work performed by Barnes & Thornburg attorneys is significant, ranging from appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals for indigent individuals to racial and social justice matters, veterans rights, immigration matters, and the formation of and counsel to scores of nonprofits across the country.

All attorneys and paralegals are expected to provide at least 50 hours of legal pro bono services each year – separate from individual volunteerism efforts and board involvement. The firm also gives billable hour credit to associates for up to 50 hours of approved legal pro bono work and bonus compensation for our staff attorneys and paralegals. In addition, the firm and our attorneys also provide substantial financial support to many providers who perform legal services for those who cannot afford them.

Barnes & Thornburg is a member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project, a national nonprofit organization comprised of leading national firms committed to pro bono legal services. Beyond being a member of that organization, the firm is also a signatory to the Pro Bono Pledge, through which the firm strives to devote 3 percent of the firms’ billable hours to pro bono services.

We are consistently ranked in the top 150 of firms by The American Lawyer pro bono rankings. Moreover, in recent years, the firm has received pro bono recognition awards from the Heartland Pro Bono Council, the Indiana Bar Foundation, and the Indianapolis Bar Association. In 2021 and 2022 Barnes & Thornburg was named Koch Industries Pro Bono Partner of the Year.