Law Firms
BigLaw firm commits nearly $1M to summer associates, nonprofits in new program
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is committing nearly $1 million to a new initiative that promotes public service by pairing its summer associates with nonprofit organizations and government agencies around the country. (Image from Shutterstock)
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is committing nearly $1 million to a new initiative that promotes public service by pairing its summer associates with nonprofit organizations and government agencies around the country.
As part of its initiative, Wilson Sonsini will provide public interest organizations with a $25,000 stipend for each summer associate they agree to host, Law.com reports. The law firm also will provide stipends to the summer associates.
Ten 1L associates from Wilson Sonsini’s summer 2027 class will work in eight nonprofit organizations, Law.com reports. The organizations include Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston, the Legal Aid Society in New York City and the Tahirih Justice Center in Washington, D.C.
To be eligible for the program, associates must also commit to spending their 2L summer with the firm, Law.com reports.
Luke Liss, the pro bono partner at Wilson Sonsini, told Law.com that the firm decided to compensate the public interest organizations, as well as the associates because of the funding losses and budget cuts experienced by many of the organizations.
“I feel like when you’re not supporting the nonprofit financially, many of them have lost federal funding, so it’s really difficult for them to just take on students,” Liss said.
“We’re going to support the nonprofits, too; it’s not just the students getting paid,” Liss also said.
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