Pro Bono at Venable
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Venable Cares SPRING 2007 Those Who Can, “One has only to agree Should. to represent a pro bono Amy J. McMaster client to realize that the While interning with the Legal Aid Society my fi rst summer rewards are plentiful; after law school, I gained a new appreciation for attorneys one might even say, who choose a life of public service. Thinly staffed, the two addictive.” attorneys I supported managed more cases between them over the course of that summer than many do in a lifetime. it, in fact. For a variety of reasons, such cases often Although a career in public service may arrive at an attorney’s doorstep like an impetuous not be for everyone, I am always surprised at orphan - demanding and in need of immediate how some attorneys are willing to perform CONTENTS 1 attention - affording their new caregiver precious hundreds of hours of pro bono work each little time to get up to speed on the facts of the year, while others would not think twice about case before jumping in with both feet. But jump 1 Those Who Can, Should. checking the “seldom to never” category in an they must. Pro bono clients typically seek attorney survey. It certainly doesn’t seem to representation only in the midst of an active 2 Letter from the have anything to do with how busy they are. confl ict involving emotionally-wrought issues, Like so many things, if you need an attorney to Pro Bono Chair such as: shelter, livelihood, welfare or medical handle a pro bono case, ask one who’s busy. benefi ts, social security, incarceration, eviction, 3 Alabama’s Death Row At the College of William and Mary, custody, divorce, discrimination and other forms listening to our Dean lecture on the meaning 4 Venable Cares About of intolerance or injustice. As a result, and due to of “the true citizen lawyer,” I often wondered the Homeless whether true citizen lawyers were made, or the seriousness of the issue at stake, few pro bono 5 Pro Bono Rewards born. Now that I have practiced for a few years attorneys insist on limiting client contact to normal working hours, creating a signifi cant and have met dozens of attorneys engaged 5 Venable Helps in pro bono representation, the victor in this demand on personal time. So why do it then? nature versus nurture debate seems clear. “I swear this is the last pro bono case 6 Venable Furthers Rule While the zealousness with which so many I’m going to take,” a fellow associate recently of Law in China pro bono attorneys pursue their client’s cause commented to me after the case she’d been 7 ECHO Praises might suggest a DNA component to their handling took an unexpected turn for the worse plight, I believe true citizen lawyers are made, while she was away on a much deserved vacation. Venable Team not born. Every attorney is capable of giving “Right,” I laughed, “that’s what I always say 7 Dana Nifosi Receives a tremendous gift to those most in need, and right before I take on another case.” Volunteer Award it’s never too late to learn how. “I know,” she grinned, “me too.” That is not to say that pro bono For myself, I have both altruistic and 8 CDP Presents an representation is without its thorns. Far from selfi sh reasons for engaging in pro bono Employment Law Continued on page 3 Workshop for Nonprofi ts 8 Pro Bono at Venable Venable Cares SPRING 2007 Letter from the Pro Bono Chair Pro Bono Committee Members Dear Colleagues: If you are one There are a number of pleasures Gerry Treanor, Pro Bono Chair of Venable LLP’s I get from my involvement with Partner, Government Division, DC many unsung heroes or know of Venable LLP’s pro bono program. one, we want to hear from you! The opportunity to work with Lars Anderson, Partner Please submit stories, articles and attorneys from all of the fi rm’s Government Division, Virginia pictures to [email protected] many practice groups and offi ces and include “Venable Cares” in is certainly among them. Helping to encourage and Keir Bancroft, Associate Government Division, Virginia the subject line. Be sure to coordinate our efforts on behalf of the disadvantaged has allowed me a unique perspective on the remarkable include your name and contact Jackie Bottash, Legal skills and deep compassion of a large number of our information. We look forward to Administrative Assistant, DC colleagues. It is particularly the case of the many new hearing from you soon! lawyers and paralegals who join us each year from a Bridget Dougherty, Marketing wide variety of law schools, clerkships and other fi rms. Coordinator, DC So many come with long personal records of commitments to service. Still others have no such Kishka-Kamari Ford, Associate history, but quickly align themselves with the fi rm’s Litigation Division, Virginia mission of contributing to the well-being of our communities. This issue of Venable Cares describes WASHINGTON, DC the efforts and accomplishments of a few. There are Caroline Gately, Partner 575 7th Street, NW many more who are serving our pro bono clients every Litigation Division, DC Washington, DC 20004 day in a wide variety of ways. 202.344.4000 Jana Gibson, Paralegal Among the unsung heroes of our program are the Litigation Division, Rockville MARYLAND numerous colleagues who manage to roll out of bed Two Hopkins Plaza on Saturday mornings to staff our walk-in legal clinic 2 Suite 1800 L’Kenya Jackson, Associate in Anacostia and others who meet with new clients on Business Division, Virginia Baltimore, MD 21201 an occasional Wednesday evening at the DC Bar offi ce. 410.244.7400 Several of our members have become familiar with Rick Joyce, Partner 210 Allegheny Avenue the attorney check-in procedures of the correctional Government Division, DC P.O. Box 5517 facilities in Manhattan, Hagerstown and the Baltimore Towson, MD 21204 City Jail. Still others have spent long hours driving the 410.494.6200 Chris La Testa, Associate back roads of Alabama to interview witnesses whose Technology Division, Baltimore One Church Street testimony may help our client avoid being put to death. Fifth Floor In addition, our colleagues have spent hundreds of hours Kavita Lepping, Associate Rockville, MD 20850 in Cuba, Egypt and Albania seeking due process for our 301.217.5600 Technology Division, DC clients held, without charges, for the past fi ve years at VIRGINIA Guantanamo Bay. Patricia McGowan, Partner 8010 Towers Crescent Drive These efforts, and many more, on behalf of families Business Division, Baltimore Suite 300 facing evictions, or women in abusive relationships, or Vienna, VA 22182 703.760.1600 children without adequate nutrition, are an integral Amy McMaster, Associate part of our professional obligation to represent both Government Division, DC NEW YORK the unpopular and the unknown. It’s important for The Chrysler Building us to take pride in the contributions that many of our Mitchell Mirviss, Partner 405 Lexington Avenue 56th Floor colleagues make. It is equally important in this time Litigation Division, Baltimore New York, NY 10174 of growth and expansion that we not lose sight of this 212.307.5500 fundamental aspect of our fi rm’s culture. Otho Thompson, Partner Gerry Litigation Division, Baltimore CALIFORNIA 2049 Century Park East Gerry Treanor is a partner in the Government Division at Brian Zemil, Partner Suite 2100 Los Angeles, CA 90067 Venable LLP in Washington, DC and the Chair of Venable LLP’s Litigation Division, Towson 310.229.9900 Pro Bono Committee. He can be reached at [email protected] © 2007 Venable LLP • www.Venable.com • 1.888.VENABLE SPRING 2007 Venable Cares Alabama’s Death Row Those Who Can... continued from page 1 representation. Selfi shly, such cases Jerry Block are also a good way to gain practical Damon Wright experience, to make acquaintances Brian Flack with local judges and to get comfortable Moxila Upadhyaya advocating in the court room. Indeed, although I am not in favor of making pro On August 25, 2006, Venable LLP secured a partial victory on behalf of longstanding bono representation mandatory, I am client Fredrick (“Freddie”) Woods, an inmate on Alabama’s death row. The Alabama sure that large fi rms would see a marked Supreme Court reversed a 2003 lower court ruling, which summarily dismissed Mr. Woods’ improvement in their junior associates’ petition for post-conviction review. The case has now been remanded to the trial court. litigation skills if it was. As a result of Venable’s thorough investigation of his case, Mr. Woods’ petition describes Altruistically, I believe that if all compelling facts that were not known or raised at trial. These include the State’s intentional attorneys devoted just a small fraction of destruction of exculpatory evidence (written statements by the key State’s witness), a secret their time, energy and talent to helping deal with the key State’s witness, false testimony at trial by two State detectives about Woods’ those most in need, a great weight would interrogation, two jail guards’ reports about Woods’ abusive interrogation, the trial judge’s be lifted from society’s shoulders. Such friendship with the victim, three jurors’ materially false responses during voir dire and cases are also an opportunity to act as defense counsel’s failure to conduct any guilt or mitigation phase investigation (arising in both counselor and confi dant to a fellow large part from Alabama’s statutory cap on court-appointed counsel fees). Now, pursuant human during a time of great need.