[muir_redwoods]

"You mean when he did it for free? Maybe it didn't make history, but I'd wager it's not a very common occurrence, to say the least."

Every firm does pro bono work and the work often goes to a lawyer with a particular skill in a given subject area. I don't know the particulars in this case but Roberts may simply have been rthe best qualified for the legal issues.

[inquest]

There's no evidence from any of the reports that he was assigned the case as his job. All indications are that the head of the pro bono department (who apparently was not his boss) asked for his help, and he gave it voluntarily.