Covington Receives Pro Bono Award from Sanctuary for Families

Covington Receives Pro Bono Award from Sanctuary for Families

October 25, 2023

NEW YORK—Covington and Lauren Shor will be honored with the "Excellence in Pro Bono Advocacy" award at this year's Sanctuary for Families' "Above & Beyond Awards," which celebrates the resilience of survivors and honors members of the legal community who have gone above and beyond. All of the honorees have provided outstanding pro bono representation and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender violence.

Covington and Lauren were honored for representing Ezra, a Russian gay man and LGBTQIA+ activist who fled Russia with his partner, in obtaining asylum status. In 2016, after Ezra and his partner were arrested in Russia for showing solidarity with the Pulse nightclub shooting victims, they decided to flee Russia together and arrived in New York in 2017. Once in the U.S., they were finally able to marry and began their years-long affirmative asylum process, with the support of Sanctuary for Families and a team of lawyers for each of Ezra's and his partner's individual cases. In 2023, after six years of teamwork, creativity, and patience, both Ezra and his husband were finally granted asylum.

Covington has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service. The firm is frequently recognized for pro bono service, including 12 times being ranked the number one pro bono practice in the U.S. by The American Lawyer. Much of the firm's pro bono work is anchored in meeting local needs, serving economically disadvantaged individuals and families in our surrounding communities, but the firm also has a long history of serving vulnerable clients and important causes throughout the U.S. and the world.