Harold Hirshman has displayed a profound and abiding commitment to equal access to justice by providing a broad array of pro bono services throughout his 37-year career. Harold has taken on seemingly hopeless cases for the poor, the imprisoned, the mentally disabled, indigent veterans, and people of color. Alone, and in concert with some of the finest legal aid and public interest law organizations in the region, Harold has battled those who would infringe on the individual rights of citizens lacking a voice.

Harold’s pro bono work has proven instrumental in winning a number of notable judgments and favorable settlements. He has undertaken a number of pro bono impact litigation cases in a wide range of areas, including First Amendment rights, the use of physical restraints on patients at Illinois mental health facilities, civil rights and public housing. For example, on behalf of residents of the Henry Horner public housing development, he worked with attorneys from the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law on a class action case against the Chicago Housing Authority and HUD. As a result of the consent decree reached in the case with Harold’s help, the development has been completely revitalized and now serves as a model for other housing authorities and housing advocates throughout the country. In addition to his systemic work, Harold also has provided top notch pro bono assistance to countless individuals over the years.

As a partner at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal, Harold has marshaled the vast resources of his firm in support of pro bono cases, leading by example and involving scores of the firm's associates and partners in pro bono service. Like Edward J. Lewis II, Harold reflects a broad vision of what a true lawyer should be by using his legal skills and creativity to champion the causes of the most vulnerable among us.