Amid the nasty exchanges of a contentious election, the divisive issues that have exposed chasms among the American people in the last year, and unfolding scandal in Washington,

D.C., there is perhaps a silver lining for the legal industry. In recent months lawyers—so often criticized for being callous or money hungry—have taken action on behalf of immigrants and refugees, filed civil rights lawsuits, and stood up for the rule of law. Like the balloon-riding lawyers on our cover, the profession has soared in public estimation. Suddenly it's cool to be a lawyer.

This issue puts a spotlight on the work that lawyers in private practice do pro bono publico—for the public good. It's the work that they don't get paid for and that never dries up: representing those in great need. Our annual survey tracks the millions of hours that Am Law 200 firms spend on a huge range of pro bono work—from taking a nonprofit circus through bankruptcy to advising projects to install solar power panels in West Africa to securing ownership of $7 million silver religious ornaments on behalf of a New York synagogue. Despite the wide variety of projects, some broad themes emerged as well.