Bill Patton is a retired partner of Ropes & Gray where he was a member of the litigation department. While in practice, he represented clients in various state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Bill was a law clerk to the Hon. Frank M. Coffin of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in 1968-69 and was an Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States from 1973-75. Since retirement in 2008, he has been an active volunteer with the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (VLP) and Senior Partners for Justice. In 2012 he received the Gideon’s Trumpet award from Senior Partners for Justice for commitment to access to justice as well as an award from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for outstanding pro bono work. Bill and his wife have for several years participated in Hospitality Homes, an organization whose members provide short-term housing for families coming to Boston for medical care.
As an Access to Justice Fellow, Bill will work on several projects with the Volunteer Lawyers Project/Senior Partners for Justice, including programs for mentoring and training of VLP volunteers, participation in the guardianship and family law LAR (limited assistance representation) clinics in Suffolk Probate and Family Court, and representation of clients in family law and guardianship matters through VLP. He will also continue to provide mentoring for Ropes & Gray lawyers in VLP matters and in representation of pro bono clients through the Dorchester House, a community-based health and social services organization in the City of Boston. Bill will also be available as a resource to other firms interested in establishing pro bono mentoring programs for their associates.