Pro Bono

March 16, 2020

February 25, 2020, The American Lawyer

February 13, 2020, The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Ben Block and Samantha Clark were featured on The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU-FM public radio in Washington, sharing their experience representing military families in a lawsuit against a privatized on-base housing company.

October 29, 2019

On October 29, Covington's DC office hosted a reception marking the launch of an endowment fund for the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP) in memory of Tom Williamson. Over 80 attendees gathered to hear a series of luminaries speak about Tom's work as a “quiet warrior for justice" throughout his career, including as a rotation associate and longtime ...

October 8, 2019

WASHINGTON—A federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas today ruled in favor of Covington client Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of pro-choice and reproductive justice organization Trust Women in Wichita, following a case brought against Ms. Burkhart by a prominent anti-abortion activist. The case involved two incidents in November 2012 ...

August 22, 2019

WASHINGTON—Covington announced that the firm will be serving as part of an international team of lawyers representing media pioneer Maria Ressa, CEO, Cofounder and Executive Editor of Rappler, one of the leading online news platforms in the Philippines, as well as representing Rappler itself. Covington will be serving as U.S. counsel and will coordinate as ...

July 23, 2019

WASHINGTON—The American Lawyer has named Covington to its 2019 “A-List,” an annual ranking of the top 20 firms based on revenue per lawyer, pro bono commitment, diversity, associate satisfaction, and the percentage of female equity partners. Covington has appeared on the “A-List” fourteen times since it was introduced in 2003. This year, Covington ranked fifth ...

July 2, 2019

WASHINGTON—Covington was ranked second among Am Law 200 firms in The American Lawyer’s annual Pro Bono Survey and first in average pro bono hours performed by lawyers based in the United States in 2018. The American Lawyer ranks firms by a pro bono score that considers the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who performed ...

June 14, 2019

WASHINGTON—Today, for the first time in its history, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims certified a class action and granted classwide relief to veterans. Covington brought this class action petition in partnership with the National Veterans Legal Services Program. The landmark petition challenged the inexcusable delays by the Veterans ...

February 28, 2019

NEW YORK—Her Justice, a non-profit organization that provides free legal help to women living in poverty in New York City, has presented Laura Torre with the John K. Geiger Award. The award is presented in memory of John Geiger, a volunteer turned lawyer at Her Justice. Mr. Geiger demonstrated unyielding compassion and dedication towards his clients and brought ...

November 12, 2018

WASHINGTON—The National Veterans Legal Services Program has presented Covington with its “Pro Bono Partner of the Year Award.” The award recognizes the firm’s extraordinary legal service provided to veterans. For over 14 years, Covington has partnered with NVLSP, working to address systemic and individual issues that affect the lives of veterans and their ...

November 8, 2018

NEW YORK—The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice has presented Covington with the “Good Governance Program” award at its third annual Celebration of International Pro Bono Excellence. The Vance Center recognized Covington for its work on behalf of ACOS Alliance, a coalition of news organizations, freelance journalist associations, and NGOs working ...

October 17, 2018

WASHINGTON—The Pro Bono Institute has presented Covington with the 2018 John H. Pickering Award, recognizing the firm’s outstanding institutional commitment to pro bono and the extraordinary pro bono efforts of its lawyers and staff.  In 2017, Covington lawyers devoted more than 146,000 hours to representing organizations and individuals in pro bono matters. ...

October 8, 2018

WASHINGTON—The Thomson Reuters Foundation has named Rick Longton its “TrustLaw Lawyer of the Year.” The award recognizes the commitment demonstrated in supporting pro bono clients over the last year on projects undertaken through TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono program that connects high-impact NGOs with law firms and corporate legal teams ...

July 25, 2018

WASHINGTON—The American Lawyer has named Covington to its 2018 “A-List,” an annual ranking of the top 20 firms based on revenue per lawyer, pro bono commitment, diversity, associate satisfaction, and the percentage of female equity partners. Covington has appeared on the “A-List” thirteen times since this honor was introduced in 2003. In 2018, Covington was ...

June 29, 2018

WASHINGTON—Covington was ranked second among Am Law 200 firms in The American Lawyer’s annual Pro Bono Survey. The American Lawyer ranks firms by a pro bono score that considers the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who performed more than 20 hours of pro bono work. “Legal services are often unaffordable for the people who ...

June 27, 2018, The American Lawyer

Alan Pemberton is quoted by The American Lawyer in an article accompanying the publication's Pro Bono Survey results. According to Pemberton, "The 2016 election acted as a kind of catalyst as it awakened in many of our lawyers a sense of engagement in public service matters generally." He adds that the current political climate spurred lawyers to do pro bono ...

June 21, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO—The Daily Journal has named Covington partner Jeffrey Davidson one of its “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers in California. In its profile of Mr. Davidson, the Daily Journal highlights his representation of the University of California in its challenge to the federal government’s attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ...

May 17, 2018, Society for Human Resource Management

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by the Society for Human Resource Management in an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in this case, argued that the government's ...

May 16, 2018, The Washington Times

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by The Washington Times in an article regarding the Ninth Circuit's response to oral arguments in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in this case, argued that there's case law that says even ...

May 15, 2018, Associated Press

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in an Associated Press article ahead of oral arguments in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, "The rescission of DACA is based on what appears to be an argument that ...

May 15, 2018, CBS

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a CBS article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “The rescission of DACA is based on what appears to be an argument that DACA was illegal when it was enacted, but that’s just wrong," says ...

May 15, 2018, The Wall Street Journal

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, the federal government's decision to ...

May 15, 2018, NBC

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in an NBC an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, said, "The record reflects not one word of consideration for the ...

May 15, 2018, The Hill

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by The Hill in an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in this case, argued, “The record reflects not one word of consideration for ...

May 11, 2018, Law360

Alexander Berengaut and Jeffrey Davidson are quoted in a Law360 article regarding upcoming oral arguments related to the DACA challenge in which Covington represents the University of California. “Our case and its companion cases in other districts aren't about politics but, again, based on the law of how government decisions are supposed to be made,” says ...

May 11, 2018, La Opinión

Jeffrey Davidson and Alexander Berengaut are quoted in a La Opinión article regarding Covington's representation of the University of California in a lawsuit challenging the federal government's attempt to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

May 8, 2018, The AmLaw Litigation Daily

The AmLaw Litigation Daily highlights Covington’s work alongside the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Center, and prisoners’ rights litigator, Elizabeth Alexander, regarding a class action that was filed in the Southern District of Mississippi on behalf of the East Mississippi Correctional Facility’s prisoners, 80 percent of whom are mentally ill. “Prisoners suffer ...

May 2, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO—The National Law Journal has named Covington to its “Pro Bono Hot List.” The 2018 special report recognizes 14 firms who “have taken on some of the biggest issues of our time.” In its profile of the firm, The National Law Journal highlights Covington’s pro bono efforts, led by San Francisco partner Jeffrey Davidson, on behalf of the University of ...

May 2018, The National Law Journal

Covington was named to The National Law Journal's "Pro Bono Hot List" for its representation of the University of California in challenging the government’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. "To be in court standing up for 700,000 immigrants, I don't know that there's anything quite like that. For them, it's not a legal ...

April 20, 2018

WASHINGTON—The Washington Business Journal has honored Covington partner D. Jean Veta with the 2018 LGBTQ Business Leader Award. This award is given to 20 business leaders in the Washington area who are “blazing the trail for diversity and inclusion in the corporate world.” Ms. Veta, Covington’s first openly gay partner and a member of the firm’s Financial ...

April 16, 2018, The Am Law Litigation Daily

The Am Law Litigation Daily highlights a victory on behalf of the city of Los Angeles following U.S. District Judge Manuel Real's decision to enjoin an attempt by the Justice Department to link funding for community-oriented policing to cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies on immigration enforcement. Mitch Kamin, who was a member of the Covington ...

March 28, 2018, The AmLaw Litigation Daily

Eric Holder was featured by The AmLaw Litigation Daily in an article describing his many roles and responsibilities both at the firm and beyond. According to Timothy Hester, Holder is "involved in a lot of important issues of the day, but he’s also involved in very important issues for our client base." Hester adds, “He’s thrown himself into the life of our ...

March 22, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO—Covington’s Jeffrey Davidson, Thomas Garten, Laura Muschamp, and Michael Plimack have been named among the 2018 “California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year” by the Daily Journal. This annual award recognizes lawyers in the state who have made a “significant impact on public policy, the law, the profession, or a particular practice area.” Mr. Davidson ...

March 9, 2018

In 2003, a West Virginia University student was found guilty of first degree murder for the shooting of a classmate and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. After an unsuccessful appeal to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals by his original defense counsel, Brian Ferguson turned to Covington to help him fight for his ...

March 7, 2018, Florida Public Radio

Alexander Berengaut appeared on Florida public radio to discuss his representation of the University of California, one of the plaintiffs in the case challenging the Trump Administration's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

February 14, 2018, Daily Journal

Winslow Taub is quoted in a Daily Journal article regarding a recent 9th Circuit decision stating that a district court judge gave too much deference to the Department of Homeland Security and didn't give proper judicial weight to the First Amendment in a case in which the government forced protestors to stay away from an immigration checkpoint in Arizona. ...

January 22, 2018

WASHINGTON—Covington has helped secure a historic settlement on behalf of global union federations, Industrial Global Union and UNI Global Union, in an arbitration under the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a legally binding agreement to create a framework for safe working conditions in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment industry.  Signed in ...

January 12, 2018, The Litigation Daily

Jeffrey Davidson was named "Litigator of the Week" by The Litigation Daily for his representation of the University of California, one of the plaintiffs in the case challenging the Trump Administration's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. On January 9, U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of ...

January 10, 2018, Reuters

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a Reuters article regarding a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco that temporarily blocks the government from rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in challenging the government's action, says that ...

January 10, 2018, Law360

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a Law360 article regarding a nationwide injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Alsup that prevents the government from proceeding with its plan to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who serves as counsel for the University of California, one of the plaintiffs in the case, says ...

November 16, 2017

WASHINGTON—The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has awarded Covington a perfect score of 100 percent for the tenth consecutive year on its Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices pertinent to LGBTQ workplace equality. Covington is among 609 major U.S. businesses that earned a perfect ...

September 8, 2017, The New York Times

Alex Berengaut is quoted by The New York Times in an article regarding the lawsuit filed by the University of California system against the Department of Homeland Security regarding the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Berengaut, a member of the Covington team representing former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet ...

September 7, 2017, Stars & Stripes

David Zionts is quoted in a Stars & Stripes article regarding the recent ban on transgender personnel in the military. Zionts, who is a member of the Covington team serving as co-counsel with the ACLU challenging the ban, says the issue is "equality before the law." When “the government wants to discriminate and treat one class of people different, it needs a ...

August 28, 2017, Bloomberg

Bloomberg highlights Covington's role as co-counsel with the ACLU in a lawsuit challenging the ban preventing transgender men and women from serving in the armed forces. “When the memorandum was issued on [August 25] it was apparent to us that this was going to cause immediate harm to the transgender community serving in the military," says David Zionts. Mitch ...

July 31, 2017

WASHINGTON—The American Lawyer has named Covington to its 2017 “A-List,” an annual ranking of the top 20 firms based on revenue per lawyer, pro bono commitment, diversity, associate satisfaction, and, for the first time, the percentage of female equity partners. Covington has now appeared on the “A-List” twelve times since this honor was introduced in 2003. The ...

July 1, 2017, The American Lawyer

Benjamin Haley is quoted by The American Lawyer in an article highlighting ways in which law firms are shining a light on police departments and their practices. Commenting on Covington's representation of Reginald Adams, a former prisoner in New Orleans who spent 34 years in prison for the murder of a police officer's wife, Haley says, "These cases are ...

December 15, 2016, The Hill

Layth Elhassani helped drafted HR 6510: The Save the Children Act, which authorizes granting temporary visas to 25,000 Syrian refugee children to live in the U.S. until the civil war in their country ends. The Hill highlights the bill’s introduction to Congress by Rep. Mike Honda and Mr. Elhassani’s pro bono efforts. 

December 1, 2016

WASHINGTON—The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless honored Covington as its “Outstanding Law Firm of the Year.” This award recognizes law firms that go above and beyond in supporting and furthering the mission and vision of the Legal Clinic. The Legal Clinic highlighted the efforts of Covington lawyers to help preserve affordable housing in the District of ...

October 8, 2016, Boston Globe

Brian Smith is quoted in a Boston Globe article regarding the passage of the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act. Smith, who represented the Bendetson family pro bono, comments, “I thought our firm could contribute to getting it across the finish line.” He adds, “We were going to help them until they gave up, and they never did. Their dedication to this is ...

October 3, 2016, San Francisco Bar

Marty Myers was named a “Volunteer of the Month” by the Justice and Diversity Center and is quoted in a San Francisco Bar article regarding the importance of pro bono work. According to Myers, its rewarding to “bring the same high powered advice that major corporate clients use to help nonprofits meet their daily challenges.” He adds, “The benefits so far ...

September 28, 2016

WASHINGTON—Law360 named Covington & Burling to its list of “Pro Bono Firms of 2016,” recognizing the firm’s work in providing legal services to those in need. Law360 highlighted Covington victories on behalf of Guatemalan forest workers on work visas who were defrauded by a labor trafficker, victims of an Arizona sheriff’s racial profiling, Guantanamo Bay ...

September 27, 2016

WASHINGTON—Covington represented the Bendetson family pro bono in their successful effort to persuade Congress to enact a national moment of silence on Veterans Day each year in honor of all U.S. veterans.   The House of Representatives today unanimously passed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act (S. 1004), capping a three-year effort by Covington on behalf ...

September 20, 2016, Law360

Law360 named Covington as a “Pro Bono Firm of 2016.” According to Alan Pemberton, the firm’s pro bono program is loosely structured to allow attorneys to take on cases they feel strongly about. Legal services are often too expensive for the people who need them most, he adds, so the firm takes addressing pro bono work seriously. “We view it as a moral and ...

August 1, 2016

WASHINGTON—The American Lawyer has named Covington to its 2016 “A-List,” an annual ranking of the top 20 firms based on revenue per lawyer, pro bono commitment, diversity, and associate satisfaction. Covington has appeared on the “A-List” eleven times since this honor was introduced in 2003. “We are extremely pleased to have again been named to The American ...

July 11, 2016, Law360

Jeff Bozman and Alan Pemberton are quoted in a Law360 article that features Covington as a leader among law firms fighting to end discrimination against transgender men and women. Bozman, commenting on Covington’s work with the ACLU to end the military ban on transgender people serving openly says, “What we were able to do was bring a lot of the Covington ...

March 28, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO — The Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus (ALC) will be recognizing Covington as the 2016 Pro Bono honoree at its 44th Anniversary dinner on May 5th. The firm is being honored for its work on Omar v. Kerry, a case involving Mosed Shaye Omar, a U.S. citizen whose passport was illegally revoked by the U.S. Embassy in Yemen. The ...

March 25, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC — A report focusing on the overwhelming challenges faced by D.C. women who are incarcerated was released today by The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and Covington. The report, titled “D.C. Women in Prison: Continuing Problems and Recommendations for Change,” provides an in-depth look at the experience of women who ...

March 11, 2016

SILICON VALLEY - Covington partner Stanley Young has been recognized as the “Community Impact Honoree” at the Asian Law Alliance’s 39th Anniversary Dinner. The award is in recognition of his pro bono work representing a group of Latino plaintiffs in a class action against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). Mr. Young and his team ...

October 30, 2015

SILICON VALLEY, October 30, 2015 - The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has presented Covington its “Pro Bono Service Award” in recognition of the firm’s extraordinary commitment to equal justice through its longstanding support of economically disadvantaged individuals and families through pro bono work with Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal). “Public service is a ...

July 1, 2015

BRUSSELS, July 1, 2015 - Covington’s Brussels office is hosting Missing Children Europe’s photo exhibition: “Missing Children: Out of Focus” an important exhibition that raises awareness of missing children. The exhibition will feature work by photographer Natalie Hill, which portrays three real-life stories about runaways, parental abductions and missing ...

June 19, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, June 19, 2015 — Covington has been named “Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year” by the District of Columbia Bar, the second-largest unified bar in the United States. “Public service is a key part of our firm culture,” said Alan Pemberton, chair of the firm’s pro bono committee. “We encourage our lawyers to participate in pro bono activities and devote ...

May 19, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, May 15, 2015 — Four Covington lawyers have been shortlisted for their contributions to gender diversity, mentoring and pro bono work in the 2015 Chambers USA Women in Law Awards. The Covington lawyers selected as finalists are: Michelle Morin - Future Leader Andrea Reister - Leadership in the Profession: Gender Diversity - Lawyer ...

March 31, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, March 31, 2015  — The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) unfairly discriminates against and denies equal treatment to prisoners who are deaf or hard of hearing in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the ...

February 23, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, February 23, 2015 - A federal judge in the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction to halt the Obama administration's policy of detaining Central American mothers and children seeking asylum in the United States as a means of deterring others from coming to America. The ruling by U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of the District ...

January 9, 2015

NEW YORK, January 9, 2014 — Covington helped litigate and negotiate a settlement with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections that paves the way for better treatment of prisoners with serious mental illness. Covington represented the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania in a civil litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of ...

11/4/2014

NEW YORK, November 4, 2014 — In a win for Covington & Burling’s clients, a federal appeals court has denied an effort by police unions to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk tactics. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit clears the way for the implementation of ...

7/17/2014

WASHINGTON, DC, July 17, 2014 — Covington on July 10 filed an amici curiae brief in support of the plaintiff-appellants in Hassan et al. v. City of New York, a case challenging the New York Police Department’s surveillance and infiltration program that targeted Muslim American communities. Covington filed the brief on behalf of Karen Korematsu, Jay Hirabayashi, ...

May 30, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, May 30, 2014 — Voices for a Second Chance, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that assists incarcerated and recently released men and women, honored Covington & Burling partners Timothy Hester and Alan Pemberton with its Charles A. Horsky Civic Leadership Award for their commitment to public service and prisoners’ rights. “This is a ...

5/19/14

WASHINGTON, DC, May 19, 2014 — Covington & Burling has filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in support of U.S. citizenship rights for residents of American Samoa. Filed on behalf of a group of congresswomen, former territorial governors and other prominent officials, Covington’s amicus curiae brief supports plaintiffs in a case ...

March 4, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, March 4, 2014 —The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia has awarded Stefanie Doebler its Klepper Prize for Volunteer Excellence, which recognizes lawyers early in their careers who have made a significant volunteer contribution to the Society. Ms. Doebler, special counsel in Covington & Burling’s health care and food and drug practice ...

January 7, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, January 6, 2014 — For the second consecutive year, The National Law Journal has named Covington & Burling to its “Pro Bono Hot List.” This year’s list recognizes nine firms and one corporate law department for their strong commitment to public service. In the profile of Covington, the NLJ features the pro bono efforts of the firm’s New York ...

1/8/2013

WASHINGTON, DC, January 8, 2013 — The National Law Journal has named Covington & Burling to its Pro Bono Hot List. The annual list recognizes firms that demonstrate a strong commitment to public service. The NLJ profile of Covington featured the pro bono efforts of Martin Gold, Elizabeth Bell, and Erica Lai, who worked with the Chinese-American community in ...

December 20, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, December 20, 2012 — A federal jury has awarded $4.5 million to more than 300 Filipino teachers who were victims of an illegal scheme hatched by a Los Angeles employment placement agency. Covington & Burling represented the teachers on a pro bono basis. After a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in ...

August 23, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, August 23, 2012 — Law360 named Covington & Burling on its “Pro Bono Firms of 2012” list in recognition of the firm’s success in securing high-profile victories and devoting more than 133 pro bono hours per lawyer. Law360 highlighted Covington’s wins in pro bono cases over the past year, noting that the firm succeeded in getting two wrongly ...

June 28, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, June 28, 2012 — The American Lawyer has named Covington & Burling to its “A-List,” a ranking of the nation’s top 20 firms. The “A-List” is the magazine’s effort to identify the leading firms that best reflect the legal profession’s core values and measures performance based on revenues, pro bono efforts, lawyer satisfaction and diversity. The ...

June 19, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, June 19, 2012 — The U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure last night that expresses regret for a series of laws that discriminated against Chinese immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Covington & Burling played a crucial role in advocating approval of the measure and a similar bill that cleared the Senate last ...

May 16, 2012

NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 — A federal judge today granted class certification in a lawsuit challenging the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policies and practices as unconstitutional and racially discriminatory in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. The ruling in Floyd v. City of New York, et al. (S.D.N.Y.) allows anyone who was unlawfully ...

April 25, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2012 — The Neighborhood Legal Services Program plans to honor Hannah Lieberman, its new executive director, at a May 3 reception held at Covington & Burling. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan and Peter Edelman, chair of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, are expected to speak at the event about the importance of providing ...

April 12, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2012 — An Alabama man was recently freed after spending 17 years in prison, most of it on death row, after lawyers from Covington & Burling established that his original trial counsel failed to represent him effectively. Larry Smith was sentenced to death on August 25, 1995, for killing a friend in rural Marshall County, Alabama. The ...

4/9/2012

WASHINGTON, DC, April 9, 2012 — Covington & Burling LLP recently obtained asylum for Angie Ahmadi, a member of the Baha’i faith and a pro-democracy activist from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Officials with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted asylum after Ms. Ahmadi and Covington lawyer Arjun Singh Sethi presented her case to an asylum officer in ...

January 27, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC, January 27, 2012 — Covington & Burling recently obtained asylum for Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail, a native of South Kordofan in the Republic of Sudan who came to the United States to seek medical treatment just before violence spread to his homeland. An officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted asylum earlier this month ...

December 8, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, December 8, 2011 — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) has named Covington & Burling one of its 2011 Beacon of Justice awardees. The association honored 14 law firms nationwide with the award for devoting considerable resources and significantly improving the administration of justice by engaging in pro bono appellate ...

November 18, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, November 18, 2011 — Longtime Covington & Burling senior counsel Jim McKay received the National Veterans Legal Services Program Senator Daniel Inouye Award for his “unyielding support for veterans, service members and military families.” The Honorable Lanny Breuer, a former Covington partner, presented the award to Mr. McKay during the NVLSP’s ...

October 11, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, October 11, 2011 — Covington & Burling recently assisted the Chinese-American community to secure a historic victory in the Senate concerning Chinese immigrants who endured decades of discrimination under federal law. On October 6, the Senate passed by unanimous consent Senate Resolution 201, which expresses regret for a series of legislative ...

July 5, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, July 5, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP recently helped secure a reduced charge for pro bono client and former Mississippi death row inmate Cory Maye. Mr. Maye’s case gained considerable media attention in the years following his conviction, and his story was the subject of an award-winning 2008 documentary entitled Mississippi Drug War Blues: ...

July 1, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, July 1, 2011 — The American Lawyer has named Covington & Burling LLP to its “A-List,” a ranking of the top 20 firms headquartered in the United States. The “A-List” is an effort to identify the leading firms that best reflect the legal profession’s core values and measures performance based on revenues, pro bono efforts, lawyer satisfaction, and ...

6/27/2011

WASHINGTON, DC, June 27, 2011 — The National Law Journal has named Bill Livingston, senior counsel at Covington & Burling LLP, a “Champion” as part of a special report honoring Washington lawyers who have advanced the practice of law in Washington and beyond the Beltway. For the fourth year running, The National Law Journal selected “Champions and Visionaries” ...

November 29, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC, November 29, 2010 — Covington & Burling LLP has been named one of the “Pro Bono Firms of 2010” by Law360 in recognition of the firm’s commitment to “taking on challenging legal work to serve the public good.” In the November 24 profile, Law360 highlights Covington’s wins in pro bono cases in the past year, including the successful representation ...

November 5, 2010

BEIJING, November 5, 2010 — As the 2010 Shanghai World Expo drew to a close, Covington & Burling LLP hosted a group of disabled Chinese orphans at the Expo for a memorable day of Expo pavilion visits and other activities. The children hailed from social welfare institutions located in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, and ranged in age from 7 to 23. Covington ...

October 12, 2010

REDWOOD SHORES, CA, October 12, 2010 — Covington & Burling LLP partner Kurt Calia received the Boston University School of Law Victor J. Garo Public Service Award. Mr. Calia, a partner in Covington’s intellectual property litigation, technology, and life sciences practices, was honored for his representation of a death-row inmate in Alabama, a political asylum ...

September 22, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC, September 22, 2010 — Covington & Burling LLP received the 2010 Children’s Pro Bono Champion Award from Children’s Law Center last night. Tony Herman, chair of Covington’s public service committee and a litigation partner, accepted the inaugural award during the CLC’s 10th annual Helping Children Soar benefit at the Kennedy Center. “It’s my honor ...

July 1, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC, July 1, 2010 — The American Lawyer has named Covington & Burling LLP to its “A-List,” a ranking of the top 20 firms headquartered in the United States. The “A-List” is an effort to identify the leading firms that best reflect the legal profession’s core values and measures performance based on revenues, pro bono efforts, lawyer satisfaction, and ...

May 25, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC, May 25, 2010 — Covington & Burling LLP achieved a favorable result for its client in the U.S. Supreme Court in Robertson v. U.S. ex rel. Watson, a case that questioned whether it is constitutional to allow a victim of domestic violence to bring a criminal contempt proceeding for violation of a protective order. Covington’s Robert Long presented ...

December 11, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC, December 11, 2009 — The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced the members of the independent Advisory Committee established by USOC’s Board of Directors to assess the USOC's board structure and operations model. The 14-member committee will be chaired by Paul Tagliabue. The committee's members have wide-ranging experience with youth and ...

November 19, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC, November 19, 2009 — The Mississippi Court of Appeals has granted a retrial for Covington & Burling LLP client Cory Maye, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 shooting of a police officer that occurred during a narcotics task force search of Mr. Maye’s home. In its opinion of November 17, the Court of Appeals found that Mr. Maye ...

9/18/2009

WASHINGTON, DC, September 18, 2009 — Four Covington & Burling LLP partners were recognized at the Washington Business Journal’s “2009 Top Washington Lawyers” awards gala held last night at The Fairmont Washington. Tony Herman, who chairs the firm’s public service committee, was named the “Top Washington Lawyer” in the pro bono category. Paul Schmidt, a ...

10/16/2008

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 16, 2008 — Covington & Burling LLP was honored last night by The Nature Conservancy with a Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award for 2008. The award, which recognizes Covington’s many years of pro bono legal services, was presented at the Conservancy’s 2008 Conservation Learning Exchange Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. The ...

6/30/2008

WASHINGTON, DC, June 30, 2008 — The American Lawyer has named Covington & Burling LLP to its “A-List,” a ranking of the 20 top firms headquartered in the United States. According to the editors, the “A-List” includes the firms that best embody what it means to be a success in the legal community based on revenues, pro bono efforts, lawyer satisfaction, and ...

4/21/2008

WASHINGTON, DC, April 21, 2008 — The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims presented Covington & Burling LLP senior counsel James C. McKay with the Hart T. Mankin Distinguished Service Award on April 14. The award was presented on the Court’s behalf by Chief Judge William P. Greene, Jr. Mr. McKay received the Mankin Award in recognition of “his ...

7/18/2007

NEW YORK, NY, July 18, 2007 — In a unanimous decision issued on July 12th, the Florida Supreme Court vacated the convictions and death sentence of Merrit Alonzo Sims, holding that his trial counsel’s failure to object to certain prejudicial evidence at trial constituted ineffective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment. This decision caps nearly ten ...

March 8, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC, March 8, 2007 — Covington & Burling’s effort to improve the quality of indigent defense in Virginia yielded results last week when the General Assembly approved landmark legislation permitting judges to waive the unreasonably low, mandatory caps on legal fees paid to lawyers representing poor criminal defendants in Virginia’s circuit courts. ...

January 18, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC, January 18, 2007 — In two death penalty cases pending in trial courts in Alabama and Mississippi, Covington clients obtained significant relief, in one case securing a ruling overturning a murder conviction and death sentence and in another case securing a new capital sentencing trial. The cases both involved evidentiary hearings and were venued, ...

12/06/2006

WASHINGTON, DC, December 6, 2006 — The Supreme Court handed down a favorable decision in Lopez v. Gonzales, a significant immigration case in which Covington represented the petitioner, Jose Antonio Lopez. The Court's opinion, written by Justice Souter, holds that state drug convictions do not count as "aggravated felonies" for purposes of federal immigration ...

10/23/2006

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 23, 2006 — Covington & Burling LLP was recently honored for its “exceptional” pro bono contributions on behalf of death row inmates by the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project at its 20th Anniversary & Volunteer Recognition Event. Covington partner Timothy Hester accepted the award on behalf of the firm from the Project’s director, ...

June 30, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 30, 2006  -  For the fourth consecutive year, Covington & Burling has been included in The American Lawyer's "The A-List" of the twenty top firms headquartered in the United States.  The A-List is an effort to identify the twenty leading firms that best reflect the legal profession's core values, and measures performance based on revenues, ...

June 19, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC, June 19, 2006 -  Covington & Burling associate Timothy Clinton was named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The award was presented on June 17th during ADC's annual convention in Washington.  The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is a grassroots civil rights organization founded in ...

August 9, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 9, 2004 - On August 3, Covington & Burling held its Fourth Annual Pro Bono Recognition Reception to celebrate and recognize the many lawyers who devote their time and energy to public service work.  Each year, Pro Bono Lawyers of the Year Awards are presented in memory of the late Covington partner, Charles F. C. Ruff.  At least one ...