Community & Pro Bono

As people and professionals, we recognize the power we hold to effect change and help others. Goodmans firm members embrace opportunities to strengthen the communities in which we live and work through volunteering and outreach.

Our founder, Eddie Goodman, set the bar high for us. Eddie was celebrated for his community service, as a leader of numerous boards, and a patron of many cultural and artistic institutions. Today we carry on his legacy by supporting charitable and community initiatives dedicated to a wide range of causes.  Our lawyers sit as directors and trustees on the Boards of approximately eighty charitable and community organizations and non-profit corporations.  To read more about the programs and organizations that individual lawyers support, please see our lawyer profiles.

Many of our pro-bono initiatives support our ongoing commitment to a diverse and inclusive community. Please visit our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion page to learn more.

Featured Initiatives

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    Our firm members participate annually in Goodmans United Way Campaign which was recently recognized with a 2024 Local Leaders award. This special award acknowledges excellence in community giving and recognizes the tremendous spirit and compassion of Goodmans.

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    For more than 30 years we have proudly supported various SickKids initiatives both within the hospital & the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning. Throughout the year, Goodmans participates in Sick Kids Story Time - a beloved event hosted in the Family Centre, where patients and families gather for a fun reading, games and songs.

  • Goodmans is proud to partner with BlackNorth Initiative in support of the BlackNorth B.E.G.I.N. (Black Entrepreneurship Growth and Innovation Network) platform.

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    Numerous Goodmans lawyers provide pro bono support to Pro Bono Ontario through their Free Legal Advice Hotline, which offers free legal help to people across the province.
  • Since 2016 Goodmans has been DMZ’s Professional-in-Residence, providing on-site legal guidance and mentorship for its portfolio companies and alumni.  The partnership enables DMZ entrepreneurs to benefit from the pro-bono legal expertise and experience of our lawyers and gives them a strong mentor as they move forward in growing their startups. Learn more.  
  • Goodmans provided pro-bono counsel on key legal issues connected with the Canadian Centre for Human Trafficking’s launch of Canada’s first-ever hotline designed to support victims and survivors of human trafficking and to educate the public about the issue.

We're also proud to support numerous organizations, events and fundraisers throughout the year including: