Miller & Chevalier’s Pro Bono Program has been publicly recognized both for the breadth and depth of the firm’s commitment, as well as for our work on individual cases.
In April 2010, the D.C. Circuit Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, in its annual survey of firms demonstrating a wide-spread commitment to pro bono, honored the firm for achieving the “40 at 50” benchmark –- at least 40 percent of our lawyers individually provided 50 or more hours of pro bono service in 2009. Miller & Chevalier also achieved this benchmark in 2009.
Miller & Chevalier was one of the first firms to sign on to the American Bar Association Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, and we have consistently met our goal of devoting at least 3 percent of our annual billable hours to pro bono matters. In addition, we were one of the very first D.C. law firms to volunteer for the District of Columbia Bar’s Justice and Advocacy Clinic, and we have maintained our ongoing commitment to that program.
For our work on specific pro bono matters, the firm and its lawyers have received numerous awards in recent years, including:
- The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs honored the firm with an Outstanding Achievement Award for its work on an employment discrimination case. At trial, a jury found race discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment, and awarded $2.4 million in backpay, compensatory, and punitive damages –- one of the largest awards ever in a case of this kind.
- The American Bar Association awarded Homer Moyer its highest pro bono award for his long-standing work with CEELI, the Central and East European Law Initiative.
- A firm lawyer received the Defender of Innocence award from the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project in July 2009 for his representation of Martin Tankleff, who was released from prison in December 2007, after serving more than 17 years in prison for crimes he did not commit.
- Two of our lawyers were honored by the Employment Justice Center for their work in challenging the constitutionality of the District of Columbia’s disability compensation program.
- The District of Columbia Bar’s Community Economic Development Program (which was named “best pro bono program of the year” in 2008) honored Miller & Chevalier for our long-standing contribution of client alerts and other tax-related guidance for micro-businesses and non-profits.
- The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs honored Miller & Chevalier for our representation of political refugees seeking asylum in this country.
- The National Wildlife Federation and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless have recognized the firm for its exceptional pro bono work on matters sponsored by these organizations.
- The Humane Society of the United States has honored the firm with an annual award.
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