New York, July 1, 2008—For the fourth year in a row, Shearman & Sterling has been named to the prestigious A-List of top law firms in the US by The American Lawyer. These 20 firms “best embody what it means to be a success in the legal community,” according to the magazine.

In jumping two spots from number 15 in 2007 to its current 13th place national ranking, Shearman & Sterling had to exhibit exceptional performance across four A-List categories: revenue per lawyer, pro bono hours, associate satisfaction and diversity representation.

In particular, Shearman & Sterling was rated as one of the elite firms in pro bono. The firm jumped from number 17 to number 11, with average pro bono hours per lawyer increasing from 77.2 to 90.8 and 84.1% of lawyers contributing more than 20 pro bono hours last year. Asked about the rise in pro bono activity among the A-List firms, Shearman & Sterling’s pro bono counsel, Saralyn Cohen, told The American Lawyer: “Pro bono effectiveness should be [about] narrowing the gap in access to justice. That’s what we're trying to do. I don’t mean to send attorneys on a pointless errand. You want them to be making a difference.”