March of 2025 marked the 21st Annual Associates Campaign, a friendly competition in which associate representatives from Colorado law firms raise funds for The Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado (LAF). The Campaign runs through all of March and representatives compete to see which firm can raise the most money to support the important work of Colorado Legal Services. This year’s Campaign coincided with the 100th Anniversary of Colorado Legal Services, which supports Colorado communities across the state where individuals are in desperate need of free or low-cost legal aid services. The work of legal aid protects core human needs like safety, housing, and healthcare.
This year, seventy firms participated and raised $496,109, significantly surpassing the Campaign goal of $450,000. The Campaign was supported by 1,832 donors with an average gift amount of $270. And fifty of the participating firms accomplished 100% Associate participation, meaning every associate at their firms donated to the Legal Aid Foundation during the Associates Campaign. The funds raised this year represent a 42% increase from the 2023 Associates Campaign and a 22% increase from the 2024 Associates Campaign. More importantly, the amount raised is enough to fund the salaries and benefits of five entry-level legal aid attorneys at Colorado Legal Services.
At the Associates Campaign Celebration on April 30, 2025, hosted by Davis Graham at its beautiful new office located in Denver’s RiNo Arts District the Campaign results were announced, and the Campaign awards were presented by the Justices of the Colorado Supreme Court. Justice Melissa Hart congratulated the Campaign participants on the outstanding growth of the Campaign and spoke to the associate firm representatives about the great need for legal services for people facing barriers across the state of Colorado. Rebekah Pfahler, Supervising Attorney of the Family and Children Unit at Colorado Legal Services (CLS) expressed her gratitude to the attendees for supporting the work of CLS saying, “This year CLS marks our 100th anniversary. This is of course a major milestone, and it represents a full century of providing legal assistance to Colorado’s most vulnerable in housing cases, domestic violence cases, unfair debt collection cases and much more. Through these hundred years, we have seen threats big and small to legal aid funding, which is why your support is so important and critical and always has been.” She went on to talk about the work of the Family and Children Unit at CLS stating, “The dissolution of a family and intimate partner relationship is never easy in the best of situations, and it is made even more challenging when domestic violence is involved. We assist folks during one of the most emotionally difficult times in their lives and strive to help them navigate the family law system and get them started on a new chapter in their lives in a compassionate and trauma-informed way.”
WilmerHale took top honors in several categories, including most revenue raised in the large firm category, with a grand total of $51,151 donated by the staff and attorneys at WilmerHale. A full list of the award winners is below. Plans are already underway for the 2026 Associates Campaign. If you would like to get involved with this important fundraiser for legal aid in Colorado, contact Jessica Clark-Daugherty, Associate Director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado, at Jessica@legalaidfoundation.org.
Highest Associate Per Capita Gift:
WilmerHale–Large Firm
Runners-Up: Haddon Morgan Foreman and Hogan Lovells
Morrison & Foerster–Medium Firm
Runners-Up: Snell & Wilmer and Arnold & Porter
Venable–Small Firm
Runners-Up: Perkins Coie and Reed Smith
Highest Grand Total:
WilmerHale–Large Firm
Runners-Up: Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell and Taft/Sherman Howard
Snell & Wilmer–Medium Firm
Runners-Up: Littler Mendelson and Arnold & Porter
Kaplan Kirsch–Small Firm
Runners-Up: Woods Aitken and Perkins Coie
Top Performance in Broadening Participation:
Holland & Hart–Large Firm
Runners-Up: Davis Graham & Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell
Gordon Rees–Medium Firm
Runners-Up: Greenberg Traurig and Snell & Wilmer
Kaplan Kirsch–Small Firm
Runners-Up: Woods Aitken and Allen Vellone
Most Creative Fundraising:
WilmerHale
Runners-Up: Kaplan Kirsch, Woods Aitken, and Greenberg Traurig
Most Outstanding Growth:
WilmerHale–Largest Dollar Amount Increase
Runners-Up: Holland & Hart and Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell
Fox Rothschild–Largest Percentage Increase
Runners-Up: Bartlit Beck and KO Law
100% Associate Giving
Akerman, Allen Vellone, Arnold & Porter, BakerHostetler, Ballard Spahr, Bartlit Beck, Berg Hill, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, BCLP, Burg Simpson, Burns Figa & Will, Crowell & Moring, Davis Graham, Faegre Drinker, Fairfield & Woods, Foley & Lardner, Foley Hoag, Fox Rothschild, Frost Brown Todd, Garnett Powell, Gibson Dunn, Gordon Rees, Greenberg Traurig, Haddon Morgan Foreman, The Harris Law Firm, Hogan Lovells, Ireland Stapleton, Jones & Keller, Kaplan Kirsch, KO Law, Lathrop GPM, Littler Mendelson, Merchant & Gould, Michael Best, Olson Grimsley, Otten Johnson, Perkins Coie, Polsinelli, Reed Smith, Snell & Wilmer, Taft/ Sherman Howard, Venable, Welborn Sullivan, Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, White & Steele, The Wilhite Law Firm, Williams Weese Pepple & Ferguson, WilmerHale, Womble Bond Dickinson, Woods Aitken
Other Firms Participating
Armstrong Teasdale, Butler Snow, Cooley, Dentons, Fennemore, Fortis Law Partners, Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, Holland & Hart, Husch Blackwell, Kontnik Cohen, Kutak Rock, Messner Reeves, Morrison & Foerster, Paul Wilkinson, Robinson Henry, Rathod Mohamdebhai, SGR, Spencer Fance, Stinson, Trout Raley
About Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado
The Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado promotes equal access to justice by raising funds to provide civil legal services for low-income people in the state of Colorado. Founded in 1981 in response to cuts in federal funding for legal aid, the Legal Aid Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer. Board of Trustees comprised primarily of lawyers from around the state. As an organization committed to providing a meaningful voice in our civil justice system for those who would otherwise go unheard, the Legal Aid Foundation recognizes that equal justice is too often denied to those most in need of its guarantee. We stand in solidarity with all those in Colorado and across the country demanding racial justice and reaffirm our commitment to fostering an internal and external culture of anti-racism. As a funder of civil legal aid, we will continue the vital work of strengthening equitable access to justice for historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities to ensure fair treatment and facilitate the continued systemic changes that lead toward a more equal and just society for all.
Media Contact:
Jessica Clark-Daugherty
Associate Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado/Colorado Lawyer Trust Account Foundation
jessica@legalaidfoundation.org
719.603.2002 (office), 720.878.2776 (cell)
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