Community

Service: Central to Our Culture

Laws, regulations and customs change from state to state and country to country, but the unifying core of McGuireWoods’ culture does not. We live our core values of excellence, integrity, client service, diversity and inclusion, community and collegiality.

These values guide our work and define our firm as a responsible citizen of the global business community. Our core values inspire us to serve all clients, each other and the communities in which we live and work.

Each of McGuireWoods’ 1,100 lawyers in 21 offices around the world, as well as all staff members, takes our social responsibility very seriously.

Read more about the impact McGuireWoods is having on communities across the country.

Serving Clients

Because McGuireWoods is a global firm, we do business wherever our clients do business, and we give back wherever we work and live.

We give meaning to our commitment to community through national, local and global nonprofit volunteerism, fundraising, scholarships and sponsorships, as well as through a thriving pro bono program.

Serving in Person: Volunteerism

The unifying commitment to service is McGuireWoods’ foundation, but we want our lawyers and staff to participate in the individual or office-based causes they feel passionately about. Volunteers from every office around the world participate in local, community-based philanthropic events and organizations. We also volunteer and offer financial support for victims of natural disaster, and serious illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Muscular Dystrophy, diabetes, terminal childhood illness and countless others.

We also want to make a difference in addressing serious social and humanitarian ills such as domestic violence, poverty, homelessness, lack of quality education, national tragedies and war. McGuireWoods allows full-time employees up to 15 hours of paid leave per year to engage in voluntary service to the community.

Serving as Leaders: Board Roles

As evidenced in the biographies of our 1,100 lawyers, McGuireWoods is represented on hundreds of boards and in other leadership roles — in professional associations; pro bono groups; arts organizations; educational endeavors and alumni foundations or associations, as well as many other nonprofit organizations.

Serving Justice: Pro Bono

Among McGuireWoods’ pro bono service roles are leadership positions and participation in our firm and in related associations, such as the Pro Bono Institute. We also collaborate with clients, other firms and legal aid organizations in supporting innovative vehicles such as JusticeServer. JusticeServer increases accessibility to free legal assistance and aids in reducing backlog of cases. Associates, counsel and staff lawyers are credited for up to 50 billable hours for approved pro bono service.

Acknowledging Service: Veterans Among Us

We are grateful for the numerous veterans who have chosen to bring their talent and experience to our firm — staff, lawyers, consultants and members of firm leadership. They are serving McGuireWoods as they have served their respective countries. Our pro bono legal services are extended to all veterans, and we participate in other efforts to support veterans when they come home. Just one example is Freedom House, a Richmond, Virginia, shelter providing temporary housing to local veterans. Similarly, we support the USO in the United States and similar organizations wherever we work and live.