Philadelphia's Nonprofit Law Firms

By Meredith S. Auten, Partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP and Acting President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation

I am excited to be writing my first column as the Philadelphia Bar Foundation's 2021 acting President. It has been a privilege to serve as a Trustee of the Bar Foundation since 2012 and as a member of the Executive Committee since 2019.

For those of you I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, please allow me to introduce myself. I was born and raised in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia and received both my undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. 

I am currently a Partner in the white-collar litigation practice at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP with a concentration on False Claims Act (FCA) and qui tam actions, criminal and civil government investigations, internal investigations, State AG actions and compliance counseling for a range of corporate and individual clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and defense contracting industries. 

In addition to my role at the Bar Foundation, I serve as a national co-chair of the ABA's Criminal Justice Section White Collar Committee Qui Tam Subcommittee and the current chair of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Women's White Collar Defense Association. 

The concept of commitment to the community and giving back was instilled in me at a young age by my father, who served on many nonprofit boards in Philadelphia throughout his distinguished legal career. The mission of the Bar Foundation reflects principles that have guided both my professional and personal life. Our Foundation's annual grants, programs, and partnerships have never been more important than they are right now, and I consider my Board leadership position at the Foundation a true honor.

One of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation's core missions is to support the civil legal aid organizations in Philadelphia listed on this page. Our financial support for this community is critical.  We continue to stay closely connected to the efforts of the public interest sector in Philadelphia.  

Every year, our nonprofit partners provide access to justice for tens of thousands of individuals and families in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. They are working hard to ensure that the individuals, families, and communities they serve have access to all the resources they may need to navigate the world during these challenging times. 

The Foundation's vision is a Philadelphia community in which everyone has equal access to justice. We actively work to advance this vision every day. The continued generosity of our donors and supporters helps sustain the Foundation's grantmaking and is vitally important to succeeding in our mission. I hope you will consider joining us in the continued pursuit of equal access to justice for all by donating today at www.PhilaBarFoundation.org.