Pro Bono Matters

PRO BONO MATTERS SUMMER 2006 Settlement Reached on Suit Against Drug Store Chain Thanks to the efforts of New York Lawyers failed to makes its stores accessible to peo- for the Public Interest, co-counsel Ropes & ple with mobility impairments, particularly Gray LLP, and Disabled in Action of individuals who use wheelchairs. Metropolitan New York (DIA), individuals One key issue the lawsuit cited was the with mobility impairments will be able to chain’s tendency to place essential pharma- gain full access to all Duane Reade stores ceutical services up or down stairs without throughout New York City. providing ramps or elevators. Entrances and In 2001, NYLPI and Ropes & Gray filed suit other store features were also inaccessible to on behalf of DIA and several individuals wheelchair users, and store aisles were fre- with disabilities, under the Americans with quently blocked with goods and product dis- Disabilities Act and related accessibility plays. laws. The suit alleged that Duane Reade After five years of intense negotiations and litigation, Duane Reade agreed to begin instituting policy changes in its stores to ensure that they are fully accessible. The settlement was announced on April 19, 2006. Among the salient points of the settlement, Duane Reade agreed to modify counters, entryways, and other physical features, to place product displays and stock in ways that keep their aisles clear, and to provide training to their employees on laws and reg- (L TO R) DIA MEMBER JEAN RYAN, ROPES & GRAY PARTNER ulations governing accessibility. WILLIAM McCABE, AND NYLPI STAFF ATTORNEY GAVIN KEARNEY. Inside: (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2) Visiting Summer Associates 3 Pro Bono Models: Stroock, Citigroup, and Lawyers’ Farewell Eddie Bautista 3 Committee Join Forces to Aid Small Businesses NCRCR Hosts Book Launch 4 Affected by Katrina Justice for Katrina Survivors 5 Clearinghouse Matters 6 Pro Bono Models is an ongoing series ing in the absence of government assistance. WYERS FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST Spring Fundraiser 11 highlighting the innovative pro bono efforts “There was just no help, we were down here NYLPI Annual Luncheon 12 of our member law firms and corporate law Fair Housing Justice Center 13 alone,” Drumm said. In-House Update 14 departments. Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, Laura Drumm was one of the many small Citigroup and the Lawyers’ Committee for business owners whose livelihood was dras- Civil Rights Under Law pooled their resources tically affected by Hurricane Katrina. She to do something about this situation. and her husband own a store that sells Tabasco®-related merchandise, and their Working with small business owners, they business was heavily dependent on tourism helped found Second Wind, a nonprofit to succeed. They once averaged $1000 per group that advocates for grant relief pro- day in profits; in the days immediately fol- grams for small businesses in New Orleans. lowing Katrina, that figure dropped to as low In a few short months, the organization’s as $50 a day. membership has grown to over 800 members. Stroock, Citigroup, and the Lawyers’ About 18,000 small businesses are based in Committee collectively serve as counsel to New Orleans, and many of them are founder- (CONTINUED ON PAGE 5) NEW YORK LA 1 NYLPI (“SETTLEMENT REACHED ON SUIT AGAINST DRUG STORE CHAIN...” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) PRO BONO MATTERS NYLPI sincerely thanks Ropes & SUMMER 2006 “This is an historic agreement that commits Gray LLP for co-counseling on this lit- Editor: Stephen Kang one of New York City’s most prominent retail- igation, and recognizes the follow- ers to ensuring that people with disabilities ing attorneys for their dedication. NEW YORK LAWYERS have the same access to goods and services William J. McCabe, Partner FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST enjoyed by other New Yorkers,” said Jean Thomas J. Vetter, Counsel 151 West 30 Street, 11th Floor Ryan, a DIA member and named plaintiff in Sona De New York, NY 10001-4017 Tel: (212) 244-4664 the lawsuit. Nina R. Horan Fax: (212) 244-4570 Marianne Engelman Lado, NYLPI General Stanley D. Liang TDD: (212) 244-3692 Counsel, stated, “We think this is a win-win Schazi Malik Website: www.nylpi.org situation and are pleased that Duane Reade Spencer Yee recognizes that ensuring accessibility is not Yoel A. Zagelbaum NYLPI STAFF only good policy, it is good business.” NYLPI also thanks Patricia A. Michael Rothenberg, Executive Director Duane Reade will begin implementing these Martone, NYLPI Emeritus Board Marianne Engelman Lado, General Counsel changes in a sample of stores this year, and Member, for her support. will institute them in all of their New York Jaclyn Okin Barney, Staff Attorney Rebecca Bauer, Web Consultant, NCRCR City stores by the end of next year. Marnie Berk, Director of Pro Bono Programs Paola Martínez Boone, Community Organizer Dennis Boyd, Senior Staff Attorney/ Coordinator, Access and Opportunity Ajamu Brown, Community Organizer Gabriel Dusenbury, Program Associate Veronica Eady, Senior Staff Attorney/ Coordinator, Environmental Justice Margaret Fequiere, Executive Assistant Genevieve Gazón, Executive Assistant Shakima Grant, Office Assistant John Gresham, Senior Litigation Counsel Chris Johnson, Campaign Coordinator Stephen Kang, Program Associate Gavin Kearney, Staff Attorney Michelle Kraus, Disability Rights Advocate Jin Hee Lee, Staff Attorney Amanda Masters, Senior Staff Attorney/ Coordinator, Access to Health Care Amanda Matteis, Legal Assistant Suhali Mendez, Legal Assistant DIA MEMBERS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING THE SETTLEMENT. Roberta Mueller, Senior Staff Attorney/ Coordinator, De-institutionalization Robin Naismith, Assistant Director of Development Isabel Ochoa, Director of Development We also welcome the following externs, who NYLPI welcomes the Rebecca Price, Staff Attorney are working at NYLPI for two-week stints as part following legal interns for the Lourdes Rivera-Putz, Advocacy Specialist of our Visiting Summer Associates Program: 2006 summer: Jessica Rosero, Intake Coordinator Daryl Samuel, Office Administrator Christine Doktor, Weil, Gotshal Jennifer Cheung, CUNY Law School & Manges LLP Michael Scherz, Senior Staff Attorney Deena Fox, New York University Rachel Rebouche, Orrick, Herrington Tanya Silas, Development Associate Law School Kimberly Sweet, Associate General Counsel/ & Sutcliffe LLP Coordinator, Education Dennis Hsieh, Yale Law School Trevor Lippman, Heller Ehrman LLP Aprill Turner, Media Coordinator Jason Kwartmer, University at Buffalo John O’Callaghan, Davis Polk & Nancy Vazquez, Receptionist/Administrative Assistant Law School Wardwell Pauline Yoo, Senior Staff Attorney Adam Pulver, Columbia University DePaul Vaughn, Debevoise & School of Law Plimpton LLP Koert Wehberg, Syracuse University NYLPI College of Law 2 NYLPI Kicks Off Visiting Summer Associates Program NYLPI Bids Farewell On Tuesday, June 20, NYLPI kicked off its by arranging externships with legal organiza- Visiting Summer Associates Program with an tions. These short visits proved to be quite to Eddie Bautista event at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. beneficial to the organizations and rewarding Eddie Bautista, NYLPI’s longtime Each summer, New York Lawyers for the for the participating externs. Director of Community Planning, recent- Public Interest places summer associates from Steven Reiss, Chair of Weil’s Pro Bono ly left the organization after sixteen years our member firms at public interest law offices Committee and Michael Rothenberg, of organizing around environmental jus- in New York City for two-week externships. Executive Director of NYLPI, addressed the tice issues in New York City. Eddie has joined the Mayor’s Office of City This summer, 16 participating law firms are audience and thanked them for making the Legislative Affairs. sending approximately 100 summer associ- program such a success. ates to 31 public interest law offices. NYLPI hopes that the experience will serve as Eddie came to NYLPI in NYLPI created the program in response to a foundation for a lifetime commitment to pro 1990 as a requests from some of our member firms to bono work for the summers who participate. community enhance their summer associates’ experience organizer (L TO R) during New NYLPI INTERN KOERT WEHBERG, York City’s WEIL SUMMER ASSOCIATE charter CHRISTINE reform move- DOKTOR, NYLPI EDDIE BAUTISTA INTERN DENNIS ment. Eddie HSIEH, WEIL SUMMER helped start NYLPI’s Environmental MINDY WU Justice Project and played a key role in founding the Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods, a coalition of community groups that successfully advocated for equitable distribution of the City’s waste transfer stations. Eddie was a pioneer of NYLPI’s commu- Visiting Summer Associates Program, 2006 Center for Reproductive Rights nity lawyering model, through which we Participating Law Firms Citizens for New York City Coalition for Asian American Children and Families work with stakeholders to develop strate- Bingham McCutchen LLP Housing Conservation Coordinators Bryan Cave LLP gies, using litigation, media work, and JASA/Legal Services for the Elderly in Queens Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP Legal Action Center policy advocacy to serve their visions for Davis Polk & Wardwell Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Neighborhood Office their communities. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division Dechert LLP Legal Aid Society, Office for the Aging In 2003, Eddie won the Ford Foundation’s Dewey Ballantine LLP Legal Momentum DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP Leadership for a Changing World

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