Manatt Celebrates Pro Bono Week 2026

Manatt is proud to recognize National Pro Bono Week 2026, reflecting our Firmwide commitment to safeguarding the rights, liberties and dignity guaranteed to all.

During this week especially, Manatt is pleased to spotlight the significant matters our professionals have advanced over the past year—work that helps drive systemic change, defends constitutional protections and delivers meaningful impact for individuals. This work includes:

• Securing safety and stability for clients from some of the world’s most dangerous environments. These matters combined individual advocacy with systemic impact, reinforcing Manatt’s role as a champion of lawful, humane immigration policies.
  • Manatt secured a significant pro bono victory after a federal court granted pro bono client petition for writ of habeas corpus and barred his extradition—the first time in U.S. history that a court has denied extradition on humanitarian grounds. In 2019, Ahn had entered the North Korean embassy with a human rights organization to help a group of North Koreans defect. When the would-be North Korean defectors changed their minds out of fear of retribution from the North Korean government, they claimed that the group had attempted to kidnap and rob them. The Spanish authorities then charged Ahn and sought his extradition from the United States. After a magistrate judge reluctantly certified the extradition request, Ahn challenged that determination by filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus. The decision, secured with the help of co-counsel at Bird Marella, represents a critical win in a closely watched international extradition matter and underscores Manatt’s deep strength in high-stakes trial, white collar and international matters.
• Helping with the , a nonprofit focused on bringing arts, creativity, imagination and play to the center of youth mental wellbeing. Unified Youth, which is a fully independent 501(c)3 organization, debuted The Wonder Fund, a first-of-its-kind national investment linking creativity and youth behavioral health.
• Supporting for the fourth year in a row for the Firm’s annual Pro Bono Day of Service. This year, 23 professionals, staff, summer associates and summer consultants helped ten young people from Africa, Central America and South America.
• Filing amicus briefs in support of organizations, communities and individuals navigating a variety of significant legal and social issues. By providing legal insight that supports informed judicial decision-making and advancing meaningful causes, Manatt illustrates its commitment to civic engagement and legal advocacy. Some of these briefs include filings in:
  • The U.S. Supreme Court in United States Postal Service, et al. v. State of California, et al., No. 26A305, a closely watched emergency application concerning new USPS requirements for mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. As an update, Manatt is pleased with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to block implementation of the USPS mail-in voting restrictions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, helping avoid disruptions that could have burdened election officials and voters.
  • The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in support of the petitioner-appellee and affirmance of a district court order quashing a federal administrative subpoena seeking sensitive patient records from Rhode Island Hospital. The case, In re: Motion to Quash Administrative Subpoena to Rhode Island Hospital, arises from a U.S. Department of Justice investigation seeking records related to the provision of gender-affirming care to minors.
  • State of New York et al. v. U.S. Department of Justice et al. , urging the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island to vacate and enjoin a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy that restricts immigrants’ access to essential health programs.
• Securing military discharge upgrades for veterans who were released with an other-than-honorable status despite their unique situations. Through strategic legal advocacy, Manatt demonstrates its dedication to helping individuals navigate complex systems and achieve just outcomes as well as improving the military review process. Most recently, a Manatt pro bono team successfully obtained a military discharge upgrade for a after she was released with a less-than-honorable discharge despite her outstanding service record, resulting in the loss of military benefits.

Our work supporting these impactful matters would not be possible without the support and guidance of Manatt’s pro bono partners that are spearheading many of the meaningful projects working to improve the lives of the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Some of the Firm’s long-standing pro bono partners include:

Learn more about Manatt’s Pro Bono practice .