Pro Bono Legal Services

At Frost Brown Todd we are committed to providing pro bono legal services to individuals and organizations of limited financial means. This commitment is based on the following principles.
  • Our pro bono commitment is consistent with the professional responsibility of lawyers to devote part of their time to providing legal services to those who cannot afford to pay for them
  • We believe it is appropriate for persons licensed as officers of the court, regardless of their department or practice area, to have the opportunity to use their training, experience and skills to provide pro bono legal services
  • We believe pro bono work provides our attorneys with unique opportunities for personal and professional development
  • We allow 50 hours of pro bono work to be counted towards the Associate objective bonus program

We create opportunities for our attorneys to provide pro bono legal services through a number of diverse, on-going efforts, including fostering relationships with:
  • State and federal judges who appoint attorneys to such cases
  • Local, state and national bar associations who have programs providing pro bono legal services, either directly or through referrals
  • Social service agencies who provide services to vulnerable groups such as children, the poor, or the elderly
  • Legal advocacy groups, such as the ACLU, the Student Press Law Center, the Innocence Project, the Lambda Legal Defense Fund and countless others
  • Local non-profit organizations and agencies, such as arts organizations, who have a need for pro bono legal assistance

Through these relationships, Frost Brown Todd attorneys have, among many matters, represented prisoners in federal courts in Eight Amendment prison condition cases, student newspapers in a wide variety of first amendment matters and fledgling arts organizations as they struggled to incorporate and establish themselves. Our attorneys have also aided poor persons facing eviction from their homes or significant credit issues, ballot initiative campaigns in complying with campaign laws, and at-risk youth in navigating the juvenile justice system.

In 2008, Frost Brown Todd attorneys facilitated successful resolutions in the following matters:
  • On appointment from a United States District Court Judge, the firm represented an inmate in a case brought against state corrections officials involving violations of First Amendment religious freedoms and use of excessive force
  • Along with the ACLU of Kentucky, Frost Brown Todd represented a British foreign national who was denied the opportunity to apply for a concealed carry gun permit because he was not a citizen. We filed a constitutional challenge to the Kentucky statute that brought about this result in federal district court and were successful in having the statute declared unconstitutional and the Commonwealth of Kentucky enjoined from enforcing the statute

In 2007, attorneys at Frost Brown Todd were recognized for their pro bono efforts when they received Butler County’s Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award. Frost Brown Todd is committed to serving the communities in which we live and our pro bono legal services initiative is one way we extend a helping hand.