Ballard Spahr has heart. Our commitment to community can be measured in big ways and small. In the thousands of hours of pro bono service we perform each year and the winter coats we collect for the poor. In our sponsorship of an inner-city high school whose students aspire to careers in the law and our support of sick children and their families. Being a good neighbor means saying yes to endeavors that can benefit a community or make a difference in a life. Like many of the clients we represent, we consider it a duty and an honor to answer the call to citizenship.
Outreach
Show us a need and we will pull together to help meet it, from donating to local school-supply drives to pitching in on such high-impact, hands-on endeavors as Habitat for Humanity and the MLK Day of Service. Here is a sampling of other ways in which we contribute to the well-being of our communities:
- During holiday time, elves from our Atlanta office deliver gifts to residents of children's homes. Among the gifts delivered by Ballard Spahr to these organizations are Cabbage Patch dolls, a nod to our representation of the iconic toy's creator.
- We deliver homemade goodies to the Baltimore-area Ronald McDonald House several times a year and collect toiletries and do housekeeping chores for the "Believe in Tomorrow" Children's House at Johns Hopkins.
- In Bethesda, we donate business attire to agencies that assist needy individuals who are looking for jobs.
- Our Denver attorneys and staff donate to school supply drives in conjunction with the local bar association and to the Fall Food Drive to benefit Denver-area food banks.
- Lawyers and staff in our Las Vegas office volunteer at the Andre Agassi Boys and Girls Club and serve meals to the homeless at the St. Vincent Lied Dining Facility.
- In Los Angeles, we adopted Woodrow Wilson High School.
- Our attorneys and staff meet weekly to read one on one with public school children through the Philadelphia Reads Program.
- In Phoenix, we serve dinner each month at the St. Vincent DePaul food bank and kitchen for the homeless.
- We participate in Utah State Bar-sponsored campaigns to collect food for the Utah Food Bank and winter coats for the homeless.
- The Woodland Community Development Corporation in New Jersey relies on us for computer and school supply donations, as a sponsor of the Anna B. Clark Summer Day Camp, and for assistance with its reading program.
- In Washington, D.C., we support—with donations and service—N Street Village, which assists homeless and low-income women, and Lazarus House of Samaritan Inns, a residential housing and rehabilitation facility for homeless men and women.
- Our attorneys visit local schools to educate students about the court system and legal careers through the Wilmington Street Law program.
Board Service
One of the most meaningful contributions our attorneys make to their communities is to devote their energy and expertise to service on the boards of local, regional, and national organizations. As elected or appointed members of these decision-making bodies, they are in a position to guide and garner financial support for groups with a wide variety of business purposes and laudable goals, from arts enrichment to juvenile justice. Through their service, our attorneys have helped to advance the work of organizations committed to childhood cancer, gender equality, health care, historic preservation, higher education, urban living, technological innovation, youth recreation, and animal welfare. They serve on the boards of transportation authorities, governmental entities, corporations, and educational and civic institutions. It is a great source of pride for us that our attorneys excel both at serving clients and serving their communities.
Sustainability
Ballard Spahr is one of only 10 designated pilot law firms in the country participating in the American Bar Association's Law Firm Sustainability Policy Project. Implemented through all our offices, the model policy calls for a commitment to achieve sustainability through economic, social, and environmental responsibility. Our Sustainability Committee of partners and support staff from the firm's 12 offices works to better every aspect of the organization, fostering respect for community while at the same time wisely using and managing environmental and economic resources. Three Ballard Spahr partners served on the drafting committee that put together both the model ABA policy and the checklist used in implementation.