Pro Bono

At Downey Brand, public service is not just a tradition—it’s a core value. Our robust pro bono program reflects a longstanding commitment to giving back to the communities where we live and work. Each year, many of our attorneys devote their time and skills to address a wide range of unmet legal needs, supporting both individuals and organizations.

This commitment goes beyond obligation—we view pro bono work as a vital opportunity to create meaningful impact. Whether advocating for underserved individuals or assisting nonprofits with critical legal needs, our attorneys are encouraged to take on matters that align with their values and interests. These experiences not only help strengthen communities but also foster personal growth, sharpen legal skills, and promote collaboration across practice areas.

For newer attorneys, pro bono work often serves as a valuable training ground. With the support and mentorship of more senior lawyers, they’re able to take the lead on impactful cases, gaining hands-on experience while ensuring every client receives the highest level of care and attention. That spirit of teamwork and shared purpose is central to our approach.

While we’re proud to support a wide range of pro bono initiatives, we cannot accept every request. Our pro bono work generally does not include matters involving criminal law, family law, residential foreclosure, or consumer bankruptcy.

For more information or questions regarding our pro bono program, please contact Michael Montgomery, assistant to the Firm’s pro bono coordinator, at [email protected] or 916.520.5413.

Programs and Activities

Our efforts have spanned a variety of areas:

  • We led the organization of a pro bono estate planning clinic, which began in March 2017 to provide free services to low-income residents of the Greater Sacramento Area. Volunteer attorneys assist qualifying clients with preparing financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and simple wills. The clinic operates one Monday evening monthly, by appointment only, from the Voluntary Legal Services Program offices at 501 12th Street (near E Street) in downtown Sacramento. Interested members of the public may call VLSP at 916-551-2102 for more information.
  • Also, in partnership with the Voluntary Legal Services Program, our lawyers have staffed the “Lawyers in the Library” project at the Sacramento County Public Law Library one or two evenings each month since May 2011. For more information, see http://www.saclaw.org/self-help/lawyers-in-the-library/.
  • Our attorneys have represented parties in landlord-tenant mediations through the Pacific McGeorge Housing Mediation Center.
  • We have taken select immigration law matters through the University of California Davis School of Law Immigration Clinic. For more information, see http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/academics-clinicals/immigration-law-clinic.html.
  • We have worked on child advocacy matters through the Sacramento Child Advocates and its successor, the Children’s Law Center.
  • In partnership with Disability Rights California, we successfully represented claimants in administrative hearings seeking Community Based Adult Services from the Department of Health Care Services.
  • We participate in the U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit Lawyer Referral Panel, which focuses on immigration, prisoner rights, and other civil rights cases.
  • We are part of the United States District Court, Eastern District of California Pro Bono Panel, which focuses primarily on prisoner rights cases, and the Voluntary Dispute Resolution Program.
  • Many of the firm’s lawyers are actively involved with local and California bar sections, focusing on improving the legal system.

Projects of Public Record

Most of our pro bono work involves confidential matters that cannot be described, but we’ve included a couple of historical examples to help illustrate our pro bono efforts.

  • For over 20 years, Helen and Tom Kang operated Mercury Cleaners in midtown Sacramento. In early 2014, Mercury Cleaners was cited by state officials for contaminated soil and groundwater found on the premises. Downey Brand attorneys, including Stephen Meyer, along with Joe Niland of the environmental consultant group Geosyntec, stepped up to help the Kangs keep Mercury Cleaners open. The team assisted in responding to the citation, identifying a new location, negotiating the new lease, and working through a complex web of state environmental regulations. The case was featured in The Sacramento Bee. On June 26, 2015, following a collaborative effort that included the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA), Councilman Steve Hanson, and numerous state agencies, the cleaners relocated across the street with a newly-restored historical neon sign.
  • In Thomas v. Carrasco, No. 06-1549 (9th Cir. 2008), the district court dismissed prisoner Josh Thomas’ complaint for invasion of privacy. Mr. Thomas alleged that the defendants’ government attorneys violated his right to privacy by obtaining his complete and unredacted medical file without notice or using proper discovery channels. The district court dismissed his complaint without leave to amend on the grounds that he should have sought relief in the underlying lawsuit. He appealed the dismissal, and the Ninth Circuit determined that he presented issues sufficiently complicated to warrant legal assistance. Downey Brand represented Mr. Thomas on appeal. Downey Brand attorney Annie Amaral wrote his brief and then argued the privacy, procedural, and immunity issues before a three-member panel in San Francisco. The panel issued a unanimous decision reversing the district court’s dismissal.