Media Mention | Reuters Daily Docket | 22 February 2021

Hogan Lovells' Katie Ali paved path to partner with pro bono

When Katie Ali made partner at Hogan Lovells this past January, it was in the middle of a pandemic with a full litigation practice, much pro bono work, caring for her two-year-old daughter – all the while pregnant with her second child. She's due any day. "It's definitely been a challenging year," Ali said.

Ali, based in D.C., was drawn to litigation specifically because of its versatility. It's allowed her to dive deeply into many topics, especially in class actions, which have become a major focus of her practice. The ability to apply her litigation skills to a constantly evolving set of topics also drives another important part of her practice: pro bono.

Ali was the firm's senior associate-in-charge of U.S. pro bono from 2015 to 2017, when she both managed the practice and worked full-time on civil rights cases, including several solitary confinement and capital punishment cases. "Pro bono has always been and always will be a huge part of my practice," she said.

She believes that the pro bono leadership role, coordinating with dozens of clients and with lawyers across the firm, set her up for the path to partner. "It's hard to imagine any experience that could have prepared me better to advance to partner," she said.

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