Munger, Tolles & Olson Recognized with the Pro Bono Institute’s 2024 John H. Pickering Award

The Pro Bono Institute (PBI) has named Munger, Tolles & Olson as the recipient of the 2024 John H. Pickering Award in recognition of MTO’s outstanding commitment to pro bono legal services. The firm will be recognized during the PBI Annual Dinner on October 9 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

The Pickering Award, presented in conjunction with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) and the Pickering family, honors MTO’s attorneys and staff for their unwavering dedication and exceptional contributions to pro bono work and causes. The award commemorates the late John H. Pickering, a renowned appellate lawyer who is celebrated for his pro bono work and public service.

“Contributing to the community through meaningful pro bono work is a core tenet of MTO’s culture, and we thank the Pro Bono Institute for honoring our firm with the 2024 John H. Pickering Award,” Co-Managing Partner Hailyn Chen said. “Whether helping overturn a single wrongful conviction or bringing about policy changes that benefit thousands in marginalized communities nationwide, our lawyers and professional staff strive to uphold the model of pro bono advocacy set by Mr. Pickering and PBI.”

From its inception, MTO has championed significant social causes including voting rights, civil liberties, racial and criminal justice, housing, women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. A signatory of the PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®, MTO consistently allocates over 6% of its billable time to pro bono efforts. Since 2020, MTO has performed over 182,000 pro bono hours, tackling police reform, immigrant protection, cash bail challenges in Los Angeles County, Native American children’s education, veterans’ rights and more. In 2023 alone, MTO devoted over 41,000 hours across 198 pro bono matters, with each lawyer dedicating an average of 136.8 hours to pro bono work.

Learn more about the John H. Pickering Award and past winners.

*Update: Watch the Pickering Award presentation from the PBI Annual Dinner.