IN ONE CASE, Salim Ahmed Hamdan wins a Supreme Court decision declaring the Bush administration's military tribunals unconstitutional. In a second case, a young man named Ali, who first entered the United States illegally (escaping potential assassination in his native Algeria), applies for U.S. citizenship. The common thread? Both cases benefited from pro bono legal assistance provided by young Seattle lawyers.

"Lawyers have special privileges as officers of the court to speak for others, to be entrusted with the well-being of others and of our government," Ellen Dial explains. Dial is president of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA). "Our lawyers remain very aware of how their special knowledge and skills can help."

"Pro bono gives me a chance to work on very interesting cases," says attorney David East, who brought the Hamdan case to the Perkins Coie law firm. One of East's law school professors, Neal Katyal of Georgetown University Law Center, invited him to participate as an associate in the landmark case. Hamdan v. Rumsfeld was first filed in the Western District Court by Perkins Coie. East, recipient of the 2006 WSBA Young Lawyers Division Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award, exemplifies young, exceptional lawyers making pro bono a priority in their nascent practices.

AWAY FROM THE '80S

"I began my pro bono work as a summer associate while still in law school," recalls East, now an associate with McNaul Ebel Nawrot & Helgren in Seattle. "Like most young attorneys, handling my own cases and the added time in court gave me experience I might not otherwise have gained."

Kellye Testy, dean of the Seattle University School of Law, offers an explanation beyond career enhancement for the rise in pro bono interest among young lawyers. "I think a big shift has occurred away from the greedy '80s and toward a more altruistic professional," she says. "Today's students identify more areas in our society that need change and are aware that they can use their law degrees to further social justice."

Seattle University established three programs to strengthen societal awareness and commitment among its law students. The Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) enables graduates to forgive their loans if they take a public service position. Scholars for Justice is a three-year scholarship awarded to students who demonstrate a past investment in and future mission toward social justice programs. And The Seattle Journal for Social Justice is a review that explores social issues and the law.

"We find that many students are drawn to our school because of these programs," says Dean Testy. "And our goal is not to turn this gold into lead, but to encourage them to continue their original missions."

Newly elected Washington state Rep. Jamie Pedersen has always maintained a clear sense of mission. Throughout law school at Yale, the Puyallup native volunteered his time to work on immigration rights in Yale's Legal Clinic. When it came time for Pedersen to select a law firm, its pro bono record was of paramount importance.

"I started at Preston Gates & Ellis in October of 1995 and had my first case with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in November," he recalls. "The following year I worked with the Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington to identify 360 statutes that treated married couples differently than unmarried couples."

Immigration and refugee rights cases "result in saving lives," he says. "Statistically, a refugee applying for asylum has a 10 times better chance of success if he has counsel."

Pedersen's first case, involving the young Algerian man Ali, exemplifies the situation.

"Ali was an Algerian police officer who refused to adopt extremist Islam. He was considered a traitor and his life was threatened, so he fled," Pedersen explains. "He has not spoken with his family since. He thought he could never return until I mentioned that he was now eligible for citizenship (and an American passport). He was once subject to murder, but instead he became a hard-working contributor to American society."