The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless has honored Arent Fox for the firm’s work on behalf of military veterans with disabilities in the District of Columbia. At an event held October 20, 2011, the Legal Clinic presented Arent Fox the “Outstanding Firm Award” for its participation and leadership in the Senior Attorney Initiative for Legal Services (SAILS) Pro Bono Veterans Project to help homeless and low-income veterans in Washington, DC

The SAILS (Senior Attorney Initiative for Legal Services) Project, a joint initiative of the DC Bar Pro Bono Program, the DC Access to Justice Commission and 11 participating law firms, was formally launched on October 20, 2010, to infuse much needed resources into the public interest legal community by harnessing the vast experience of the many talented senior lawyers at Washington, DC, law firms, government agencies, and corporate legal departments.  The SAILS Project is chaired by Arent Fox’s Chairman Emeritus, Marc Fleischaker.

At Arent Fox, the firm SAILS Project’s primary initiative is to assist veterans in need.  Firm partner Bill Charyk – together with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless – launched the Arent Fox veterans’ services team in November 2010, recruiting attorneys throughout the firm to offer their services to help homeless and low-income veterans in a variety of ways. Since the launch of the veterans’ project, Arent Fox has taken on a number of pro bono matters designed to assist veterans in the Washington, DC-area. To read more about Arent Fox’s work in the SAILS Pro Bono Project for Veterans, please click here.

In addition to the “Outstanding Law Firm” certificate, the Legal Clinic presented to Arent Fox a military-themed painting by an artist residing at Miram’s Kitchen, a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to providing individualized services that address the causes and consequences of homelessness in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.

Arent Fox’s commitment to work in the public interest dates backs to the firm’s founding in 1942. The founding partners believed that community service and pro bono public interest work were integral parts of the practice of law and made it a priority to be at the forefront of the private bar's efforts to ensure that indigents have access to justice. That tradition continues to this day with Arent Fox’s leadership in the DC SAILS Pro Bono Project for Veterans.