When asked what makes me most proud of my work at Amazon, I always talk about our legal department’s pro bono program. Established nearly a decade ago, the program provides our attorneys and legal professionals throughout the world a wide variety of opportunities to use their skills to help individuals and organizations that cannot otherwise afford legal representation. Our team is proud to give back to the communities where we live and work in this way.
I began my career as an assistant district attorney in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office fighting to protect the rights of women and children experiencing abuse. My passion for this work—and my belief in the obligation of the legal profession to ensure access to justice for all—has stuck with me throughout my career. When I came to Amazon, I found like-minded attorneys and legal professionals who wanted to make sure that helping those who need it most is an essential part of our company DNA—which is why I founded our pro bono program.
Since the program’s inception, members of the legal department have devoted more than 52,000 hours of pro bono volunteer work, partnering with numerous law firms and nonprofits to provide access to justice for underserved people and communities, and support noble causes across the globe. This includes more than 10,000 hours just in the last year.
We take on a wide variety of cases, projects, and matters, including: righting wrongful convictions, providing legal counsel to families experiencing homelessness, preserving the environment, protecting children from sexual abuse, ensuring access to vital health care services, championing immigrant and refugee rights, aiding military veterans, supporting LGBTQIA+ communities, and safeguarding voting rights.
I am incredibly proud of our pro bono program and the hundreds of Amazon legal team members who contribute their time and talents to this meaningful work.
Below are some highlights of the causes we have worked on in the previous year. You can also find more information in our annual 2023 Pro Bono Report.
