O’Melveny Joins Ford Motor Company in a Global Day of Service
September 27, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO—September 27, 2018—More than 60 O’Melveny attorneys and staff members across the US joined volunteers in a Global Day of Service. The coordinated worldwide effort assisted organizations supporting the empowerment and well-being of women and girls in their respective communities.
The initiative was spearheaded by Ford Motor Company’s Legal Alliance for Women, the company’s professional organization focused on women in the legal practice. O’Melveny is among more than 90 law firms that partnered with Ford to volunteer time and perform pro bono work.
O’Melveny brought the Global Day of Service to California’s Bay Area, welcoming more than 20 undocumented “Dreamers” and their families to the firm’s San Francisco office. The Dreamers, pre-identified and selected by local nonprofit Legal Services for Children, received free legal assistance from a team of O’Melveny attorneys, along with attorneys from other participating law firms. Attorneys completed the Dreamers’ renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has allowed some 800,000 young undocumented people to come out of the shadows and work legally.
The federal government charges nearly $500 for each DACA renewal application. To ease the financial hardship, O’Melveny and the other participating law firms covered all of the DACA-associated fees. For the Dreamers’ children and young siblings, volunteers built and distributed bicycles—a universal symbol of fun and freedom.
Among the O’Melveny volunteers was Wenting Yu, an attorney born in China and now living in the Bay Area on a work visa. “I’ve been through the immigration process. I know the difficulties these applicants are facing,” Yu said. She added, “I feel it’s important to help guide them.”
Michelle Yoon, 27, was one of the Dreamers who received assistance from O’Melveny. Her parents brought her to California from Argentina when she was in elementary school. “If you tell me to go back to Argentina, I don’t have my roots there. My roots are here. California is home,” Yoon said.
“At O’Melveny, social responsibility is in our DNA. Our commitment to excellent client service has always extended to underrepresented members of society,” said O’Melveny Chair Bradley J. Butwin. “It’s an honor to partner with Ford, a company whose priorities align with ours, not just in the pursuit of excellence, but in the belief that excellence and community responsibility are intertwined.”
“Through this day of service, we are aiming to marshal the collective efforts of our partners in the legal profession around the world to give back to the community,” said Beth Rose, assistant general counsel at Ford Motor Company and chair of Ford’s Legal Alliance for Women. “The passion we share for serving our communities extends beyond this one day. It is part of who we are as individuals and drives our community service year around.”
O’Melveny also participated in additional Global Day of Service events, including:
Los Angeles, CA - assembling snack packs and clean home kits for the Downtown Women’s Center
Orange County, CA - painting a mural and improving garden grounds at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove
Washington, DC - sorting clothing donations for nonprofit Bread for the City
New York, NY - participating in an entrepreneur legal clinic in partnership with nonprofit Start Small Think Big
About O’Melveny
What do you want to achieve? It’s more than what you do: it’s how you do it. Across sectors and borders, in boardrooms and courtrooms, we measure our success by yours. And in our interactions, we commit to making your O’Melveny experience as satisfying as the outcomes we help you achieve. Our greatest accomplishment is ensuring that you never have to choose between premier lawyering and exceptional service. So, tell us. What do you want to achieve? For the answers, please visit www.omm.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 201,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Contact:
Brandon Jacobsen
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
+1 213 420 8024
bjacobsen@omm.com