National Legal Aid & Defender Association Honors Dechert for Pro Bono Commitment

Dechert has once again been recognized for its outstanding pro bono efforts by The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) in its Beacon of Justice Awards 2025, which were established to recognize law firms for extraordinary pro bono achievements.

This year, the NLADA highlighted firms for their commitment to addressing pressing challenges faced by families and communities, with an emphasis on civil rights protections, community justice initiatives, protecting vulnerable populations, and providing legal representation to families in crisis.

Dechert remains committed to pro bono work and advancing equity and justice for all. At any given time, the firm has 1,700+ active pro bono matters ongoing, including 750 new matters.

This year, the firm secured a landmark class action settlement in the District of Columbia on behalf of 3,300 Navy and Marine Corps veterans who were injured during service and unjustly denied military medical retirement benefits for over 15 years. The court ordered the Navy to adjust medical records to accurately reflect the veterans’ full disability ratings, allowing them to receive the retirement payments and associated healthcare they deserve.

A Dechert pro bono team also pursued a five-year litigation to free four emigrant women from a cult-like relationship and debt-bondage scheme, setting precedent in labor trafficking law by winning a key attachment motion that prevented the defendant from offloading assets to make himself judgement-proof. The Dechert team also won a rarely granted “Doe” motion that allowed the clients to proceed under pseudonyms in federal court.

To learn more about Dechert’s pro bono practice, click here.

About Dechert 

Dechert is the law firm that helps business leaders lead.

For more than 150 years, we have advised clients on critical issues – from high-stakes litigation to first-in-market transaction structures and complex regulatory matters. Our nearly 1,000 lawyers in commercial centers worldwide are immersed in the key sectors we serve – financial services, private capital, real estate, life sciences and technology.

Dechert delivers unwavering partnership so our clients can achieve unprecedented results.