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21 June 20214 minute read

DLA Piper receives 2021 Alfred McKenzie Award from Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that the firm was part of a group of organizations, individuals and firms that together received the 2021 Alfred McKenzie Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. The group was honored in recognition of its work in support of the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse to provide pro bono assistance to incarcerated people over the last two years. 

According to the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, the organizations, individuals and law firms were recognized for their work to form and operate the Clearinghouse, including “the screening of thousands of cases, the development of training and reference materials, the creation and operation of the case management system, work with the Courts to expedite the resolution of cases, and the provision of advice, support, and counsel to pro bono attorneys who undertook representation of hundreds of men and women seeking relief.”

“The COVID pandemic created a crisis in the nation’s prisons, with prisoners five times more likely to sicken or die than members of the general population,” said Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee. “One of the few options for elderly, terminally ill, high risk prisoners, or prisoners with disabilities was to apply for compassionate release. DLA Piper answered the call for volunteer lawyers to assist the most vulnerable prisoners. Not only did the firm take cases and provide essential representation and advocacy, it dedicated significant resources to the pro bono effort by investigating and screening cases so that we could place those with the most urgent need. DLA Piper demonstrated the best of the profession at a time of crisis.”

“This recognition is a testament to the dedication of each and every lawyer and organization involved with the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse. Demand for pro bono assistance and access to justice for incarcerated people rose dramatically during the pandemic, and we were honored to be able to help meet that need,” said Lisa Dewey, pro bono partner and director of New Perimeter, DLA Piper's nonprofit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world.

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