Cravath’s New York Office Moves to Two Manhattan West
On August 8, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) granted asylum to two Cravath pro bono clients, a gay couple from Russia who suffered violence and persecution based on their sexual orientation.
Cravath began representing these clients in their applications for asylum in 2017, following a referral from the New York City Anti‑Violence Project. Despite originally applying for asylum in 2016, their applications remained at a near‑standstill for eight years, during which time Cravath assisted them in securing work authorization, appealed to elected officials and petitioned for expedited review of their applications. In the spring of 2024, the clients were granted asylum interviews, for which Cravath assisted in preparing and submitting supporting documentation on their behalf, including character reference letters and personal declarations from the clients detailing the treatment they had received in Russia.
During their interviews with USCIS asylum officers, each of the clients described their experiences in Russia, which included being attacked by a group of men and threatened by the police after reporting the incident. Following their testimony, USCIS approved both applications, granting the clients asylum and giving them the opportunity to seek permanent residency in the U.S.
The Cravath team was led by partner Peter T. Barbur and included associate Charles Bloom.
Deals & Cases
August 28, 2024
On August 23, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that 19 children in a longstanding lawsuit could proceed as a class representing all children in the New York City foster care system, an important milestone for plaintiffs represented by Cravath on a pro bono basis alongside co‑counsel at A Better Childhood (“ABC”). Judge Kimba Wood issued the decision after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a prior ruling denying class certification in September 2023.
Deals & Cases
February 22, 2024
On February 13, 2024, the New York State Appellate Division, First Department, reversed the convictions of Tommy Davis, who was simultaneously prosecuted for two unrelated incidents involving firearms. Cravath represented Mr. Davis on a pro bono basis alongside co‑counsel at the Office of the Appellate Defender.
Deals & Cases
December 28, 2023
On November 28, 2023, the Queens County Criminal Court entered an order on consent resentencing pro bono client A.M. and securing her release. A.M. had been incarcerated since June 2010. She was originally sentenced in June 2011, pursuant to a plea agreement, to a 20‑year determinate sentence plus five years’ post‑release supervision for first‑degree manslaughter after her romantic partner, who had subjected her to severe domestic abuse, killed her former partner, who had sex trafficked her and also subjected her to severe domestic abuse.
Deals & Cases
October 19, 2023
On August 30, 2023, Judge Leo A. Finston of the Newark Immigration Court granted asylum to a Cravath pro bono client persecuted by gang members in El Salvador.
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