Overview
(December 13, 2022 Washington, DC) — Steptoe & Johnson LLP has promoted two pro bono leaders, Paul Lee and Harmony Jones. Paul has been elected to the partnership and Harmony has been appointed to counsel, both effective January 1, 2023.
Gwen Renigar, the firm's Chair commented: "Steptoe maintains a strong commitment to pro bono. Public service is an integral part of our history, ethos, and operations. The principle of increasing access to justice guides our pro bono efforts, and the promotions of Paul and Harmony highlight the value we see in having full-time lawyers overseeing the firm’s pro bono program."
At Steptoe, Paul oversees the firm's pro bono practice and mentors on a variety of pro bono matters, particularly those involving immigration, human rights and juvenile law. He has responsibility for all aspects of the firm's pro bono efforts and serves as the firm's point person in working with legal services organizations, locally, nationally, and internationally. Since arriving at Steptoe in 2018, Paul has reconstituted Steptoe’s firmwide Pro Bono Committee, secured numerous awards and high national rankings for the pro bono program, and has won asylum and other forms of relief for several immigrants seeking refuge in the United States.
Paul's commitment to public interest goes far beyond the walls of Steptoe. Paul serves as a Commissioner on the DC Access to Justice Commission, and just recently completed his term on the Board of Governors of the DC Bar. He chairs the boards of Ayuda, and also is a board member of the Council for Court Excellence and the Washington Council of Lawyers. He was one of the founding board members of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, of which Steptoe was a founding Alliance Firm. Paul also oversees the summer fellowships program for the LGBTQ+ Bar of DC.
Commenting on being elected to the partnership Paul said: "I am honored to be nominated to the partnership and thrilled with the show of support this recognition shines on Steptoe's public service work. Being a partner at Steptoe will allow me to further increase our reach—both within the firm and in our communities—as we strive to counter the impacts of injustice, inequity and poverty in our world."
Harmony Jones assists in managing Steptoe's pro bono program firmwide with a focus on increasing access to justice and reducing inequality. She provides representation and mentorship in a wide variety of matters including housing law, public benefits, indigent defense, criminal justice reform, and civil rights. She also works together with legal service organizations and community partners to develop new initiatives and projects combatting racial injustice and social inequality.
Harmony has extensive experience in providing legal services on behalf of indigent clients. She previously served as a staff attorney at Legal Aid Society and Neighborhood Legal Services Program providing civil legal services to low-income clients in the areas of housing, family, and public benefits law. Harmony previously worked with an international law firm as a pro bono fellow, where she represented clients in civil rights, criminal defense, and federal habeas corpus cases. In addition to her pro bono work, Harmony has represented clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation cases.
Commenting on being promoted to of counsel, Harmony said: "It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to assist Paul in managing Steptoe’s pro bono program. I look forward to continuing to expand the program, working together with our lawyers and community partners to increase access to justice and challenge social and racial inequality in our communities."
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm’s Chair is a woman; the majority of Steptoe's nine offices are managed by women; the majority of Steptoe’s practice groups have women as leaders; and the firm’s twelve-person elected compensation committee is headed by a woman and includes five women as members. The firm's eight-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with women, women of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals comprising half the c-suite.
