WASHINGTON—The Washington Lawyers’ Committee honored Covington with two 2026 Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Wiley A. Branton Luncheon. The firm was recognized for pro bono civil rights litigation, including a landmark First Amendment victory and a federal court injunction in an immigration case.
First Amendment Case: Confederate School Name Challenge (Shenandoah County, Virginia)
Covington and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee represent the Virginia State Conference NAACP and five Shenandoah County residents. After the School Board reinstated Confederate school names in May 2024, plaintiffs alleged violations of the First Amendment (free speech) and Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection). On September 9, a federal district court granted summary judgment, holding that requiring students to participate in activities under the “Stonewall Jackson” name compelled speech in violation of the Constitution.
Covington team: Li Reed, Elizabeth Upton, Sam Greeley, Stephanie Nnadi, Analese Bridges, Amber Lowery, Lauren Smith; supervised by Jason Raofield.
Civil Rights Case: Warrantless Immigration Arrests (Washington, DC)
Covington and partner nonprofits filed a putative class action in September 2025 challenging warrantless civil immigration arrests conducted in Washington, DC without required probable cause findings under 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(2). On December 2, 2025, District Judge Beryl A. Howell issued a preliminary injunction blocking the policy and requiring compliance reporting. On May 7, 2026, the court enforced the injunction, holding that a January 2026 memorandum issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to its agents, which purported to provide instruction on probable cause factors, violated the injunction; the Court prohibited ICE from relying on the memorandum when conducting warrantless arrests in the District of Columbia. The Court also authorized discovery into Defendants’ warrantless arrest policy.
Covington team: Hassan Ahmad, Sean Berman, Graham Glusman, Alexis Gorfine, Chris Kimmel, Eva Lilienfeld, Marcus Ransom, Austin Riddick, and Alexandra Widas; supervised by Jehan Patterson.
Covington has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service. The firm is frequently recognized for pro bono service, including being ranked 12 times as 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, in addition to its long history of serving vulnerable clients and important causes throughout the U.S. and the world.
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