Volunteer Spotlight: Gideon Levy
We were grateful to sit down with Gideon Levy, an Associate at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and a dedicated member of Volunteer Legal Advocates’ Junior Board, to learn more about what motivates his pro bono work.
A Path Shaped by Service
Gideon’s professional journey has centered on service. After graduating from college, he spent a year as a consultant before joining Teach For America, where he taught and coached wrestling for four years.
“Teaching was deeply meaningful, but I wanted a new challenge,” he shared. That next challenge became law. After interning with the City of Miami, he joined Greenberg Traurig, where he’s now in his fifth year.
When asked what drew him to Volunteer Legal Advocates and our Junior Board, his answer was simple and sincere: “Public service for lawyers is very important. Volunteer Legal Advocates does a lot of great work, and I’ve been fortunate to be part of it. I’m trying to live that part of our oath of admission.”
Real Courtroom Experience. Real Impact.
As a young litigator, Gideon has found Volunteer Legal Advocates to be an exceptional training ground. “It’s given me a lot of great courtroom experience, which can be difficult to get when you are a relatively junior attorney. In my pro bono work with Volunteer Legal Advocates, I’ve helped develop strategy, draft pleadings and motions, and even examine witnesses. If you’re a litigator, it’s invaluable.”
Gideon also notes that the work is more than skill-building; it’s deeply personal. He recalls his first client, who was seeking a two-year extension of a protection order. The outcome wasn’t guaranteed, but when it came through, her gratitude left a lasting impression. “She was so genuinely happy. That moment stays with you.”
Bringing Others Along
Gideon has also helped bring colleagues into Volunteer Legal Advocates’ co-counsel model, both by encouraging them to give back and by reinforcing the practicality: his firm requires at least 25 pro bono hours, and one or two cases easily satisfy that while making a real difference in the community. “There’s no downside. With Volunteer Legal Advocates’ model, it’s very easy to participate.”
Why Young Attorneys Matter
When asked how younger attorneys can make an impact through pro bono work, Gideon flipped the question: “The better question is how can’t they?”
He sees younger lawyers as uniquely positioned to relate to clients, especially as more first-generation attorneys enter the profession. “Junior first-generation lawyers are often close in age and life experience to many of the people we represent,” he says. “There’s a built-in relatability. And we’re also able to tap into the passion and hope for justice that drove many of us into law in the first place. That helps the client, it helps us, and sometimes it even helps the judge see things differently.”
A Call to the Profession
Before we wrapped up, Gideon offered a message to fellow lawyers that felt both aspirational and deeply grounded: “The full phrase to guide our work is pro bono publico, meaning for the public good. As lawyers, we have a serious ethical obligation to do this work. We hold a position of power in society. We’re the ones with the rulebook. We have an obligation to steer society toward a better, more sustainable future, one case at a time.”
He added that many lawyers shy away from pro bono work because they think they need to do it perfectly. “We let perfect be the enemy of good. A lot more lawyers just need to do something.”
For Gideon, it’s about mindset; seeing pro bono work not as a burden but as an opportunity. “If you live here, you’re part of this community. You can take pride in caring for the people around you. You have the chance to steward a piece of your community. That’s something worth leaning into.”
