About Us
Giving Back
At Buckley we are proud of our growth and success, and are equally proud that we have remained true to our vision of creating a premier law firm with a distinctive firm culture that defines who we are and how we work. A huge part of that ethos involves giving back — to the community, the planet, and to those who are in dire need of legal services but simply cannot afford them.
Giving back is not an empty phrase; it’s a firm effort. The initiatives our firm takes on are not staffed by a handful of “do-gooders,” but rather by a cohesive, unified assembly of lawyers and staff who are driven by the belief that they can — and do — make a difference.
Our efforts range from handling complex pro bono matters to tutoring first graders. We clean up the riverfront and donate diaper bags to indigent mothers. When we make sandwiches for the needy, the assembly line features partners, associates and support staff working side by side. This is not lip service for us. It is rolling up our sleeves and making a difference.
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.- Winston Churchill
Your vote counts!
An early result of Buckley’s Unity Initiative for Equal Justice is “Your Vote Counts,” an intranet library of voting and election information, including detailed voter registration links and guidance on early and mail-in requirements, in all states where our employees reside. The resource also lists volunteer opportunities like election protection and poll monitoring. Voting rights and voter protections are a focus of our pro bono efforts, with attorneys awarded full credit for time devoted to these activities. All employees can take a paid day away from work to support voting activity, and those that wish to serve in an extended capacity can arrange to do so.
Learn more about Buckley's Unity Initiative for Equal Justice »
Community Service
In each of the cities where we have offices, we consider ourselves active participating members of the community and, as such, seek to make each of those communities a better place. We regularly contribute our time, energy and resources to those ends.
Our activities are far-ranging and diversified. We tutor first graders and then bring them into the office for an end of the year party to celebrate their progress. The chefs among us participate — and usually place first — in a yearly bake sale to raise money for a neighborhood elementary school. Our firm’s rock band, Total B/S, participated in a “Battle of the Bands” to raise more than $14,000 for the homeless. We are not adverse to losing our suits and ties, kicking off our heels and spending a Saturday cleaning up the Anacostia River waterfront. When we form an assembly line to make sandwiches for a non-profit organization that feeds the poor, we have to turn volunteers away.
We donate our suits and dress clothes to Dress for Success so economically challenged women can have the clothing they need to go on interviews, get jobs and gain financial independence. We support the American Heart Association by participating in the Lawyers Have Heart race. We support the fight against breast cancer by participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Good citizenship is not about talking. It is about giving back.
Kolar Foundation
When we founded our firm in 2009, we simultaneously established the Kolar Foundation of Buckley. The Foundation supports charitable initiatives of importance to the members and employees of the firm, as a way of giving back. Funded by a contribution of a percentage of the firm’s profits, the Kolar Foundation focuses its giving to support and encourage members and employees of the firm who themselves are reaching out with their time and resources to help others in need. Any member or employee of Buckley can apply for a donation for a cause that he or she participates in and/or supports. Since its inception, the foundation has donated more than $2.3 million to the charitable endeavors of our people. If the cause is important enough for them, it is important enough for us.
The Green Team
To play our part in the global movement to conserve resources, reduce waste, and take other steps to ensure a more sustainable environment, the Buckley “Green Team” raises awareness and institutes practical steps that can help lighten our ecological footprint, both at work and at home. The Green Team has championed recycling paper, double-sided printing, using ceramic mugs instead of plastic cups, and instituted a composting program that collects more than 13,000 pounds of compostable material a year to help reduce waste and sustain the planet. Our efforts have been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council, which granted LEED certification to our Washington, D.C., office suite, based on our attention to water and energy use, air quality, and build-out materials used in our construction.