Giving Forward

The partnership agreement of Hunton Andrews Kurth states our belief unequivocally: “The practice of law is a service to society. While an aid to business, it is concerned also with the public welfare. It is informed by the past, dedicated to the future and governed by justice...”

Community service means different things to different people—and that’s exactly how it should be.

At Hunton Andrews Kurth, we have much to be thankful for. We also have much to give. As one of the bedrock philosophies of our firm, community service means that we seize opportunities to increase the well-being of our colleagues, our families and our neighbors—including “neighbors” living half a world away.

Social Impact

Service. To an applicant for political asylum, it means knowing that you can begin a new life free from persecution. To a struggling single parent, it means knowing that your children have a place to go after school while you are at work. To a museum or theater company or dance troupe, it means knowing that you can share your art with—and gain inspiration from—an appreciative audience. To a nonprofit hospital, it means improving the lives of patients otherwise unable to afford medical care.

We believe that our firm’s actions should have a positive impact on the communities where we live and work and on the world we call home. We recruit lawyers and professional staff members who reflect these beliefs and encourage them to take action through community service.

The bulk of our firm’s volunteer efforts are determined by our individual offices, as they have the greatest understanding of the needs of their local communities. To support our volunteers, we offer a range of time-off benefits and paid leave, and we honor staff who make significant contributions to their communities through the annual David F. Peters Community Service Staff Awards.

Pro Bono

Pro bono service is one of the most important principles in the legal profession.

At Hunton Andrews Kurth, pro bono service is more than a sidebar in our annual review. Each year, Hunton Andrews Kurth lawyers and staff donate more than 45,000 hours of pro bono representation to individuals and non-profit organizations that cannot afford legal services. The firm exceeds the Pro Bono Institute’s 1993 challenge to the nation's 500 largest law firms by devoting more than 3 percent of gross billable hours annually to pro bono work each year.

Beyond the number of hours our lawyers and professional staff dedicate to pro bono service, Hunton Andrews Kurth has taken a creative path to helping those in need. In 1990, firm leadership recognized that one of the most effective ways to provide sustained service was to work directly in the communities we support. That year, Hunton Andrews Kurth opened its first neighborhood pro bono office in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood dedicated solely to providing pro bono legal services to Richmond-area residents who otherwise would be unable to afford them.  In 2005, the firm opened a neighborhood pro bono office in Charlottesville, Virginia, in partnership with the University of Virginia Law School. The neighborhood offices are staffed by volunteer lawyers, full-time firm pro bono lawyers, and the firm’s two pro bono fellows. Hunton Andrews Kurth’s pro bono fellowships are two year, rotating positions in Richmond and Atlanta that provide a stepping stone for lawyers interested in the field of public service and are part of the firm’s effort to further bridge the justice gap. The firm was awarded the American Bar Association's Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access in 2003 for these innovative approaches to providing pro bono service to those in need.

Lawyers and professional staff at Hunton Andrews Kurth get involved in pro bono work because it is the right thing to do. Pro bono strengthens our skills and our communities. Our pro bono practice continues to expand into new communities and causes, cultivating numerous opportunities to partner for the public good.