Pro Bono Publico
For the Public Good
Steve Harvey Law provides pro bono legal work for people and causes in need. Most of our pro bono cases come to us through local and national legal services organizations. We also work as leaders and volunteers on important issues.
Although we have handled pro bono cases in many different areas of the law, our public service work is generally focused on several key areas: homelessness, the rights of children, civil liberties, and the environment.
Homelessness
It’s a sad but true fact that right here in Philadelphia, one of the most beautiful and prosperous cities in the world, we have persistent poverty. Fortunately, we also have some of our nation’s most effective and committed public service organizations, including Project H.O.M.E, Philabundance, Bethesda Project, Lutheran Settlement House, and others.
At Steve Harvey Law, we have had the privilege of working closely for years with the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) in Philadelphia. HAP provides free legal services to the homeless. Steve Harvey is the former president of the HAP board and a longtime member of its executive committee. Steve and the other lawyers at Steve Harvey Law serve as volunteer attorneys for HAP and handle cases involving social security benefits and other issues for homeless men, women, and families.
The Rights of Children
Nothing tugs at our heart strings as much as the problem of abused and neglected children. Fortunately in Philadelphia we have a wonderful organization called the Support Center for Child Advocates, which provides legal assistance and social service advocacy for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia County. The Support Center’s mission is to “advocate for victims of child abuse and neglect with the goal of securing safety, justice, well-being and a permanent, nurturing environment for every child.” David Dzara is a longtime volunteer attorney for the Support Center and Steve Harvey Law is a proud supporter of this outstanding public service organization.
Civil Liberties
“No fight for civil liberties ever stays won.” At Steve Harvey Law, we are always on the watch for important civil liberties cases where we can make a difference, including through pro bono legal work. We work frequently with the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
Steve Harvey had the great good fortune to work with lawyers from the ACLU of PA, the law firm of Pepper Hamilton, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State on Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, the leading case on evolution and intelligent design. Steve has worked on a wide range of civil liberties issues, including prisoner civil rights, voting rights, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Most recently, Steve submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Galloway v. Town of Greece, an important religious liberty case.
The Environment
We are active in the Sierra Club, Citizens Climate Lobby, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, and Penn Environment, among other environmental organizations. While we are concerned about a wide range of environment concerns, the most critical issue is global climate change caused by global warming, which in turn is caused by release of carbon dioxide primarily from burning fossil fuels. We encourage everyone to become knowledgeable on this important topic and demand that our elected officials take immediate action to protect the future for our children and future generations.
Organ Donation
Our work in 2013 for Sarah Murnaghan and Javier Acosta made us aware that every year many people die waiting for organ transplants because there are not enough organs donated. We encourage everyone to become a donor and to support an increase in organ donation.
