The New York, Chicago and Los Angeles offices held public service projects to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Monday, more than 180 Skadden attorneys, legal assistants, staff, friends and family members read to young students; painted murals; and built bookshelves, benches and cubbies in schools in New York’s East Harlem, on Chicago’s South Side and in South Los Angeles. The events were a great success and exemplified the firm’s deeply engrained commitment to social responsibility. Executive partner Eric Friedman, who participated with his family in New York, said of the day, "For us, service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a natural link between what we believe makes a great institution and Dr. King's mission — expanding socioeconomic boundaries to join together and make a community stronger."
The firm partnered with City Year, a nonprofit organization that trains young adults to mentor and tutor NYC public school students and works with various agencies to help improve student attendance, academic performance and retention rates through high school.
The New York office also partnered with the DREAM Charter School, an East Harlem community-based, public charter school whose mission is to prepare students for high-performing high schools, colleges and beyond through a rigorous academic program that develops critical thinkers who demonstrate a love of learning, strong character, and a commitment to wellness and active citizenship. DREAM currently serves 250 students in kindergarten through fourth grade. DREAM will grow by one grade each year until it reaches a capacity of grades K-8.
For more details, please visit www.cityyear.org and www.dreamschoolnyc.org/.