Sidley has been presented with the “W. Frank Newton Award” at the State Bar of Texas’s 2022 Pro Bono Excellence Awards. The award recognizes Sidley’s long-standing partnership with the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program as well as the firm’s Veterans Advocacy Program. In presenting the award, the State Bar of Texas’s committee cited Sidley’s dedication to the provision of pro bono legal services as “truly exceptional.”
Pro bono service has been a core tenet of Sidley’s since the firm was founded in 1866, and it has been integral to the Sidley’s office in Dallas since it opened its doors in 1996. Sidley has committed significant person-power to handling high-profile impact litigation, individual cases for the disadvantaged, as well as intake clinics to identify and address needs in the community. Through its six firmwide initiatives, involving lawyers and staff in every office, the firm is able to extend its reach and resources to individuals and organizations in Texas, the U.S. and around the world. The noteworthy impact of Sidley’s pro bono work has garnered significant recognition from industry recognized organizations. The firm was named “Law Firm of the Year” by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program in 2021 and 2019, and was a finalist in the 2020 edition of The National Law Journal’s “Pro Bono Hotlist.”