Putting Service into Practice: A Snapshot of Loeb’s Commitment to Pro Bono Work from February Through April 2026

From February through April 2026, Loeb continued its pro bono work and impact through partnerships with clients and organizations serving communities across the country. Our teams supported LGBTQIA+ communities, children and families, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers, artists and creative professionals, small businesses, and individuals and communities affected by natural disasters. 

Explore a month-by-month recap of these initiatives below. 

February

Loeb Teams Up with ICLS to Help LGBTQIA+ Individuals Plan for the Future
On Feb. 12, Loeb hosted its eighth pro bono clinic focused on advance health care directives (AHCDs) in partnership with Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS). The clinic provided essential guidance to four LGBTQIA+ individuals referred by ICLS, helping them safeguard their rights and ensure their wishes are clearly documented for future medical decisions.

The Loeb pro bono team included partners Leah Bishop, Ann Chen, Danielle Miller and David Nelson; senior counsel Sasha Bass; and associates Camila Piedrahita Abello, Christine Abiyou, Kelly Cooksey and Madi Sand.

Loeb San Francisco Lawyers Support Alliance for Children’s Rights’ Winter Adoption Day
Ahead of the Alliance for Children’s Rights’ Winter Adoption Day with the Los Angeles court on Feb. 27, Loeb partnered with the nonprofit to support pro bono adoptions. Founded in 1992, the Alliance for Children’s Rights protects children in poverty and those overcoming abuse and neglect by providing free legal services, supportive programs and systemic solutions. Its Adoption Day events—held several times each year—are dedicated, celebratory court days focused exclusively on finalizing adoptions.

Five lawyers from Loeb’s San Francisco office stepped in to assist adoptive parents in two uncontested adoption cases for the Winter Adoption Day (with a Feb.11 filing deadline). One matter involved the adoption of a 1-year-old child, while the second supported the adoption of three siblings by their maternal grandmother and aunt—helping secure permanent homes for four children.

The firm’s pro bono team included partners Jessica Davis Mills, Alison Sundberg Telleen and Nicole Webb; senior counsel Michelle Raaka; and associate Brian Wong. Senior counsel Sasha Bass provided guidance and advice to both teams.

March

Loeb Advances Disaster Preparedness and Relief Through Pro Bono Disaster Initiatives
Between January and March, Loeb supported a disaster‑related pro bono initiative aimed at strengthening legal preparedness and assisting communities recovering from major emergencies.

Earlier this year, a team of Loeb lawyers volunteered with the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative (DLAC)—a statewide partnership of California legal services organizations, the State Bar and law firms committed to strengthening access to legal information and assistance in the wake of disasters—to help review and update California disaster legal resources. 

DLAC develops and maintains a centralized collection of disaster‑related resources designed to support both impacted individuals and the legal aid organizations and pro bono volunteers who assist them. While earlier efforts focused on guides tied to specific federally declared disasters, DLAC has shifted toward creating comprehensive, standing disaster legal resources that are reviewed and updated annually. These materials help ensure accurate, ready‑to‑use legal guidance is available when disasters strike, supporting both immediate response efforts and longer‑term recovery. 

Although the research and drafting took place in January and February, all work was coordinated and finalized by March 2 as part of DLAC’s annual update cycle. The project involved three Loeb teams—seven lawyers in total—each preparing an information update in close collaboration with a nonprofit organization. These updates included a loss of life resource developed in partnership with ICLS; disaster relief and public benefits guidance prepared with Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles; and a small business-real estate update authored in collaboration with Public Counsel.

Loeb’s pro bono team included partner Leah Bishop; senior counsel Daryl Steiger; and associates Christine Abiyou, Shauna Benedelli, Rich Sta. Lucia, Nick Warshaw and Ali Zarrabi. 

Loeb Collaborates with Bet Tzedek on Virtual Conservatorship Clinic
On March 12, Loeb partnered with Bet Tzedek, a nonprofit providing free legal advice and representation to Los Angeles County residents, to host a virtual Self-Help Conservatorship Petition Preparation Clinic, which manages the majority of conservatorship filings in Los Angeles County. 

As part of Bet Tzedek’s targeted conservatorship initiative, the clinic focused on supporting individuals seeking legal authority to assist adult loved ones who are unable to manage their own affairs due to developmental disabilities or cognitive conditions. The work helps ensure conservators have clear legal authority to provide ongoing support and manage critical decisions. Volunteers began the session with a structured training on conservatorship fundamentals and step-by-step instruction on preparing petitions.

The firm’s pro bono participants included Chief Information Security Officer Wilson Ye; partners Michael Barry, Matt Friedman, Brian Heidelberger and Megan Stombock; senior counsel Mary Bassi, Roshanne Katouzian, Jim Prestiano and Jennifer Smith; associates Brencis Navia, Max Pristic, Mateo Rendon, Jenny Savitt and Lisa Wiznitzer; assistant Robin Splendore; communications coordinator ‘Mari Daniel; and legal recruiting manager Heather Fennell. 

Loeb and TransUnion Join Lawyers for the Creative Arts to Deliver Pro Bono Contract Support for Artists
On March 19, a group of Loeb lawyers joined in‑house lawyers from firm client TransUnion to provide pro bono legal guidance to members of Chicago’s creative community through a clinic hosted by Lawyers for the Creative Arts. The Chicago‑based nonprofit works to ensure artists and arts organizations have access to pro bono legal services, particularly at critical stages of their professional development.

The clinic brought together 14 volunteers—eight from Loeb and six from TransUnion—to advise seven artist clients and arts organizations seeking reviews of business and creative contracts. Following a brief orientation, volunteer lawyers met individually with clients to review self‑prepared agreements and third‑party contracts and to clarify key rights and protections related to their creative ventures. Clients included a graphic designer, a muralist, an art curator, an interior designer and representatives of various nonprofit arts organizations. The clinic was also attended by the nonprofit's Executive Director Jan Feldman.

The Loeb pro bono team included partners Amir Azaran, Ross Emmerman, Lauren Richards, Seth Rose and Jon Thielbar; senior counsel Mary Bassi; and associates Jenny Savitt and Lisa Wiznitzer.  

April

Loeb Supports Transgender Community Through Education and Name Change Clinics 
In March and April, Loeb partnered with Advocates for Trans Equality to support transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming individuals through both education and direct legal assistance. Founded in 2003, Advocates for Trans Equality is a national organization dedicated to advancing the rights and well-being of transgender people. 

In honor of Transgender Day of Visibility, on March 31, the firm hosted a webinar featuring representatives from Advocates for Trans Equality, alongside Loeb senior counsel and DC Pro Bono Committee member Nicole Travers, focused on the legal and practical realities facing the transgender community. The discussion examined recent developments affecting transgender rights, addressed common misconceptions and underscored the importance of inclusive language, while also highlighting the bureaucratic barriers many individuals encounter when updating identity documents and identifying pro bono opportunities to help address these challenges.

Building on that effort, in April, the firm collaborated with Advocates for Trans Equality for a Transgender Name Change Project. The clinic focused on helping clients navigate the legal name change process, a critical step toward ensuring safety, dignity and full participation in everyday activities such as travel, medical care and access to government benefits. 

Loeb volunteers provided legal assistance throughout the name change process, from preparing and filing petitions to securing court orders. A total of 19 firm volunteers supported five name change cases, helping clients take meaningful steps toward affirmation, safety and legal recognition. 

The firm’s pro bono participants included partner David Kostman; senior counsel Sasha Bass, Joan Guilfoyle and Michelle Raaka; associates Shauna Bendinelli, Danielle Hardy, Jennie Mooney, Jackie Perrotta, Lizzy Pott, Ashley Ravins, Mateo Rendón, Dan Walters and Lisa Wiznitzer; paralegals Patrycja Makles-Chuchro and Sunny Pak; assistants Griselle Angeles-Valle and Robin Splendore; communications coordinator ‘Mari Daniel; and administrative services manager Matthew Carroccio.  

Together, these initiatives reflect the firm’s continued commitment to advancing access to justice for the transgender community through both advocacy and hands-on legal support.