Richard Gruenberger is Counsel and Director of Pro Bono Programs for DLA Piper (US). He focuses his pro bono practice in several areas of litigation including family, disability and education law, and since joining the firm in 2007, has helped develop several initiatives in these areas. He has been a leader in a firm-wide effort to promote equal access to education. Other than project development and procuring pro bono opportunities for DLA Piper attorneys, Richard has an active caseload and mentors associates with their pro bono cases.
After graduating from Skidmore College with high honors, Richard spent two years in banking at Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase), first in its Management Development Program and then in its Private Banking Group. Before joining DLA Piper, Richard worked at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), New York's largest privately funded legal services organization. He joined NYLAG in 1993, serving as a senior staff attorney where he represented clients both at the state court and appellate court levels and was later tasked with creating NYLAG's first pro bono program in 1997. In that role, Gruenberger supervised attorneys from most of New York's leading firms in their representation of low-income clients.
Bar admissionsNew York
Education
J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
B.S., Skidmore College
Prior Experience
Richard has dedicated his professional legal career to providing indigent individuals with equal access to justice. Before joining DLA Piper, he worked at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), New York’s largest privately funded legal services organization. He joined NYLAG in 1993, serving as a senior staff attorney where he represented clients in all facets of matrimonial and family law, in both the state and appellate courts. Later, he was tasked with creating NYLAG's first pro bono program and was named its Pro Bono Supervising Attorney in 1997. In that role, he supervised attorneys from most of New York’s leading firms in their representation of low-income clients.
By 2005, Richard was part of NYLAG’s senior management team. With responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the office, he assisted with lobbying and fundraising efforts and recruited and hired attorneys and summer associates, while continuing his role leading NYLAG's pro bono program
After graduating from Skidmore College with high honors, Richard spent two years in banking at Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase), first in its Management Development Program and then in its Private Banking Group.
Civic and Charitable
Richard serves of the Board of Directors of Unchained At Last, the country’s only organization dedicated to ending forced and child marriage through direct services and advocacy. This non-profit provides crucial legal and social services to help women, girls to escape arranged/forced marriages and promotes social, policy and legal change.
