Announcing Our Newest Champions for Children

Lawyers from across Washington, DC, competed throughout last year to raise funds for Children’s Law Center and help DC’s most vulnerable kids. The winners in three categories based on firm size were named this year’s Champions for Children:

• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (with 250+ attorneys in their DC office)
• McDermott Will & Emery LLP (with 100-249 attorneys in their DC office)
• Clifford Chance US LLP (with 1-99 attorneys in their DC office)

The Champions for Children campaign is an annual fundraising competition spearheaded by our advisory board, which includes over 30 rising leaders at law firms and corporations within DC. The advisory board members inspired colleagues to give generous gifts by sharing stories about the children whose lives have been transformed by Children’s Law Center, by telling their own tales of pro bono clients they have helped and organizing events that fit the character of their firm. The funds these firms raised will enable Children’s Law Center to fight so every child in DC can grow up with a loving family, good health and a quality education.

Skadden and its employees donated more than $80,000 to Children’s Law Center. The firm motivated employees to donate by offering to match their gifts, and the firm’s generosity paid off! In addition to the firm’s financial generosity, Skadden is a pro bono partner in almost every area of our work, whether it is advocating for children caught in the middle of contested custody cases or making sure landlords fix unsafe housing conditions that threaten children’s health.

^{Left to Right: Children’s Law Center Governing Board Member John T. Bentivoglio, Advisory Board Member Kathryn K. Baran, and Head of Skadden’s DC Office Mitchell S. Ettinger, all from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP}

McDermott and its employees secured the title in their size category this year in large part by doubling the firm’s gift on the night of our Helping Children Soar Benefit. This gift opened doors to additional support that allowed Children’s Law Center to expand its successful medical-legal partnership to yet another clinic, Unity Health Care on Minnesota Avenue, NE.  McDermott’s commitment to DC’s kids has been profound for years: they were our very first pro bono partner to tackle special education cases, and because of them, firms across the city join Children’s Law Center’s lawyers in helping thousands of DC children every year get the education they need to learn. 

^{Left to right: Partner Alison L. Nadel and Children’s Law Center Advisory Board Member Hillary Webber, from McDermott Will & Emery LLP}

Clifford Chance motivated giving among their employees in a very creative way: by hosting an employee carnival where lawyers and staff could use their donation to buy a ticket entitling them to throw pie in the face of managing partner David DiBari and partner David Evans. The firm also regularly takes pro bono cases, advocating for children to ensure they have a loving family or the supports they need to learn in school.   

^{Left to right: Partner David Evans, Children’s Law Center Advisory Board Member Adam C. Goldstein, and Managing Partner David DiBari, from Clifford Chance US LLP}

Children’s Law Center is grateful to the many firms and hundreds of DC lawyers who turned their competitive energy and generous spirits toward winning Champions for Children. There is no doubt that the real winners are the many children who will grow up with loving families, a quality education and good health as a result.