News and Updates

On October 28, 2024, Cravath was honored by the Lawyers Alliance for New York at its 2024 Cornerstone Awards, which were held at Paramount Global’s offices in New York and recognized “superior pro bono service to nonprofit organizations.” The Firm was named an Institutional Honoree as a result of its “rich history of meaningful pro bono work of the highest quality,” including its near 25‑year partnership with Lawyers Alliance which includes providing pro bono assistance to more than 60 nonprofit clients on more than 66 legal matters, including 19 new cases during the past year. Lawyers Alliance identified by name more than 40 organizations and more than 80 Cravath lawyers who worked to assist them over just the last three years. Lawyers Alliance also noted “the exemplary support of Cravath’s attorneys,” which has led to the “success of pro bono projects, including strategic alliances, lease agreements, privacy policies, and entity formations,” and that Cravath has received “accolades from Lawyers Alliance clients praising their passion and professionalism, which they carry through to each representation.”

On October 21, 2024, the Legal Aid Society honored Cravath partner Sharonmoyee Goswami, practice area attorney Donald Robert Bunton and associates Justin S. Rosinski, Neal P. Vinaixa, Ariella Rochelle Banin and Chibunkem Ezenekwe as 2024 Pro Bono Publico Award recipients. Each year, Legal Aid recognizes the work of lawyers, law firms, corporations and other professionals who volunteer their time and talent to provide exceptional legal services to low‑income New Yorkers. Sharon, Donald, Justin, Neal, Ariella and Chibunkem received the 2024 award for outstanding pro bono assistance to the Employment Law Unit for their work on a case involving discrimination and tenant harassment.

On October 23, 2024, Cravath hosted a panel discussion as part of Pro Bono Week entitled “Justice in Action: Celebrating Pro Bono Week.” The event featured a conversation between associates Scott B. Cohen, Melissa A. Syring, Erika T.J. Carter, Julia Nagle and Eduardo D. Jacobo, moderated by partner Antony L. Ryan, about the panelists’ pro bono experiences, how pro bono work has shaped their careers and the crucial role that it plays in ensuring access to justice for clients. The event also included a raffle to win pieces from ARTICLE22, a sustainable jewelry company that works with artists in Laos and Ukraine to craft pieces from shrapnel and other debris, with a portion of proceeds going towards clearing contaminated land and supporting local development efforts.

On October 1, 2024, Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) named Cravath practice area attorney Brian M. Budnick to its 2024 Pro Bono Dean’s List, which recognizes individuals who have made an impact in helping New Yorkers access justice. Brian was recognized for his work with the VOLS Children’s Project, through which he has spent the past four years advocating for a critically ill and severely disabled child receiving life-saving medical treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, and his family. Brian has worked with VOLS to address the family’s immigration legal needs and to secure housing for them while their child is in the hospital. In an interview with VOLS, Brian spoke about the importance of pro bono work, noting that “legal analysis and work product can change the trajectory of someone’s life,” and advising junior attorneys that “there’s no better way to make a positive impact than pro bono work.”

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.

On October 7, 2024, Cravath was honored by the Office of the Appellate Defender, the second oldest institutional provider of appellate representation in New York City, at its 31st annual “First Monday in October” gala. The Firm received the 2024 Gideon Award in recognition of its commitment to indigent appellate defense through its longtime participation in OAD's Volunteer Appellate Defender program, including its work with OAD as co‑counsel to help reverse a wrongful criminal conviction resulting from the joinder of two indictments at one trial. Partner Benjamin Gruenstein accepted the award on behalf of the Firm.

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.

In June 2024, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (“NLADA”), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel, honored Cravath with a 2024 “Beacon of Justice Award” for pro bono work advocating for equality in our justice system, including providing counsel to individuals who have survived domestic and/or sexual violence, representing juvenile offenders with life sentences who were denied parole in violation of their constitutional rights and representing inmates whose Eighth Amendment rights were violated by dangerous prison conditions and actions of prison staff. Partner Antony Ryan noted that “from Cravath’s inception, meaningful and challenging pro bono work has been a cornerstone of our practice. We are proud of what we do to ensure that individuals in the criminal justice system are treated with dignity and respect and have a meaningful opportunity to vindicate their rights. We are honored to be recognized by NLADA for our efforts.”

On July 9, 2024, The American Lawyer featured Cravath and A Better Childhood’s (“ABC”) appellate victory for children in New York City foster care among “15 matters that represent some of the very best of the legal industry’s pro bono efforts in 2023.” Published as part of the outlet’s 2024 Pro Bono Report, the article described Cravath and ABC’s efforts, led by partners Antony L. Ryan and Justin C. Clarke, to secure class certification in an action brought by 19 children seeking to remedy the ongoing violation of their rights under the Due Process Clause as well as various state and federal statutory provisions which cause children in foster care harm to their health, safety and well‑being.

On April 16, 2024, Cravath was honored by the Volunteers of Legal Service (“VOLS”), a nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal services to low‑income New Yorkers with limited resources, at its 2024 New York, Together gala. Cravath partner Antony L. Ryan, who serves as Chairman of VOLS’ Board of Directors, accepted the award on the Firm’s behalf in recognition of its “strong and historical” pro bono partnership.

On March 21, 2024, Cravath was honored “for outstanding advocacy and commitment to justice” by Legal Services NYC, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty and seeks justice for low‑income New Yorkers by providing civil legal services, at its annual Jazz for Justice Benefit in New York. Cravath partner Antony Ryan accepted the award on the Firm’s behalf in recognition of its longstanding pro bono partnership with the organization, and Cravath lawyers were featured in a video highlighting their work on an asylum case. 

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.

On January 25, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered judgments against appropriation artist Richard Prince and his co‑defendants Laurence Gagosian, Gagosian Gallery and Blum & Poe gallery.

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.

On October 30, 2023, The Legal Aid Society honored Cravath partners Antony L. Ryan, Lauren M. Rosenberg and Brittany L. Sukiennik, of counsel Rebecca J. Schindel and associates Chizoba D. Ukairo and Frances C. McDonald as 2023 Pro Bono Publico Award recipients for outstanding service to the organization and their clients. Each year, Legal Aid recognizes the work of volunteer lawyers, law firms, corporations and other professionals who volunteer their time and talent to provide exceptional legal services to low‑income New Yorkers. Antony, Lauren, Brittany, Rebecca, Chizoba and Frances received the 2023 award in recognition of their work for pro bono clients, including Tania Rodas, as part of Cravath’s Incarcerated Survivors Initiative.

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.

On October 4, 2023, an immigration judge (IJ) granted asylum to Cravath pro bono client Johanna R., a transgender woman from El Salvador who had been abused by gang members based on her identity.

On September 19, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated a district court’s order denying class certification to all children who are or will be in the custody of New York City’s foster care system. Cravath, working on a pro bono basis, represents the putative class alongside co‑counsel at A Better Childhood (“ABC”).

On July 31, 2023, the Michigan Supreme Court reversed the conviction of Joshua Stewart, who argued that he had been convicted based on a post‑arrest confession obtained as a result of deceptive police interrogation tactics. Cravath, working on a pro bono basis, submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the Innocence Project in support of Mr. Stewart’s appeal.

On May 31, 2023, Judge Greenberg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ruled in favor of veteran and Cravath pro bono client Jason D. McCoy.

On May 15, 2023, the New York City Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”) implemented a policy change, DHS‑PB‑2023‑006, altering the eligibility process for families seeking to stay in homeless shelters and ensuring such families are not turned away from shelter in a time of need. Cravath, working on a pro bono basis, partnered with the New York Legal Assistance Group to help secure this change, which followed a formal complaint, a demand letter shared with New York City and State officials and years of negotiation.

On March 29, 2023, the New York County Criminal Court granted Cravath’s motion to resentence pro bono client Tania Rodas under the Domestic Violence Survivors Act (“DVSJA”), securing her release. Ms. Rodas had been incarcerated since May 2017. She was originally sentenced in July 2019, pursuant to a plea agreement, to a 10‑year determinate sentence plus five years’ post‑release supervision, for first-degree manslaughter after killing her domestic partner, who had subjected her to a severe pattern of domestic abuse for over 11 years.

On May 11, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied summary judgment to appropriation artist Richard Prince and his associated galleries in two copyright infringement cases brought by Cravath clients, the photographers Donald Graham and Eric McNatt, regarding works from Prince’s “New Portraits” series.

On May 10, 2023, Cravath was honored by Jericho Project, a nationally‑acclaimed nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness and improving the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, at its “Celebrate! 2023: 40 Years of Hope and Homes” gala. The Firm received its 2023 Legacy Award in recognition of its “extraordinary support of Jericho’s mission” throughout the organization’s 40‑year history.

On November 2, 2022, Sanctuary for Families announced Cravath as a recipient of its 2022 Above & Beyond Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Advocacy. Cravath’s Incarcerated Survivors’ Initiative, led by partner David M. Stuart, assists incarcerated survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence, including on matters related to resentencing, parole and civil rights violations, and in partnership with legal and social services organizations. Dave and associate L. Angel Valle were recognized for their work as part of this initiative, assisting a survivor of gender‑based violence secure parole. As Sanctuary for Families noted in a feature article around the award, when the survivor, “Monica,” was “granted parole and released after nearly 25 years of incarceration, ‘Team Monica,’ as she had taken to calling the pair of attorneys, drove up to meet her with supplies and to take her for her first meal outside prison in over two decades.”

On October 27, 2022, Cravath was honored by New York Legal Assistance Group (“NYLAG”) at its 2022 Pro Bono Awards. The Firm received the Hero of Justice Award in recognition of its work with NYLAG over the past year. NYLAG highlighted Cravath’s work with NYLAG on humanitarian parole applications, including for individuals from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

In 2022, Cravath secured the release from prison of two pro bono clients, Thomas “Tommy” Burns and Donna Arroyo, who had each been incarcerated for more than 25 years after having survived years of extreme domestic violence. Cravath worked closely on its representation of Tommy Burns with Brooklyn Law School’s Criminal Defense and Advocacy Clinic and the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk, and on its representation of Donna Arroyo with Sanctuary for Families.

On June 29, 2022, in response to a lawsuit filed by Cravath, Democracy Forward and Lambda Legal, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated a regulation issued in the final days of the prior presidential administration that sought to eliminate the non‑discrimination provisions that bar service providers funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from discriminating against program participants and beneficiaries on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and other protected traits.

On April 19, 2022, Cravath, working on a pro bono basis, submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the Innocence Network in support of death row inmate Melissa Lucio’s application for habeas corpus and motion to stay execution. Just two days before the scheduled execution, on April 25, 2022, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a per curiam opinion staying the execution and remanding the habeas claims to the trial court for a merits review.

On December 16, 2021, The Legal Aid Society honored Cravath as one of its 2021 Pro Bono Publico Award recipients for outstanding service to the organization and its clients. Each year, Legal Aid recognizes the work of volunteer lawyers, law firms, corporations and other professionals who support or participate in its Pro Bono Program by providing exceptional legal services to vulnerable New Yorkers. Cravath received the 2021 award in recognition of our work for immigrant rights, incarcerated women who have survived domestic and/or sexual violence and low-income New Yorkers in need of transactional legal assistance. A number of attorneys were nominated for individual recognition, including partners Rachel G. Skaistis, David M. Stuart, Omid H. Nasab and Matthew M. Kelly and 12 associates.

Over the course of nearly forty years, Cravath has represented African American and female plaintiffs alleging employment discrimination by governmental employers in Birmingham, Alabama. Our work on the case started in 1983 led by the late Robert D. Joffe, a renowned trial lawyer and one of our former presiding partners. In 1992, then partner Rowan D. Wilson took over leadership of the case which he retained until 2017 when he retired and accepted an appointment from the Governor of New York to become an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. In December 2020, the case reached its conclusion under the leadership of partner Damaris Hernández—a reflection of the generations of Cravath attorneys who have supported this fight for justice.

In March 2021, Her Justice, a legal services organization that provides free legal help to women living in poverty in New York City, including victims of domestic violence, selected Cravath Pro Bono Manager Aviania Iliadis as one of its 2021 Commitment to Justice Award recipients. The award, which honors the organization’s valued pro bono partners and supporters, highlighted Aviania’s “steadfast and solid” commitment to pro bono legal services. “I can’t think of anyone who is more organized and responsive,” noted the director of Her Justice’s Immigration Practice.

In March 2021, Immigration Equality, a leading national LGBTQ immigrant rights organization, announced that Cravath will be honored for the Firm’s dedication and quality of work for LGBTQ and HIV‑positive asylum seekers at the organization’s Safe Haven Awards Virtual Gala on May 20, 2021. Among Cravath’s work that earned the honor were its pro bono efforts to secure asylum for an HIV‑positive gay man who fled Cuba after being persecuted for his sexual orientation. Since 2017, Cravath has represented 16 clients referred by Immigration Equality with their applications for asylum, including clients from Burkina Faso, Cuba, El Salvador, Georgia, Honduras, Jamaica, Russia and Ukraine.

On February 9, 2021, in response to a lawsuit and request for preliminary injunctive relief filed by Cravath, Democracy Forward and Lambda Legal challenging a regulation promulgated by the prior presidential administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stipulated that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia should temporarily postpone the effective date of the regulation while it is reviewed by the agency. As a result, the effective date of the rule is postponed for 180 days, until August 11, 2021, while HHS assesses its next steps. The regulation would have eliminated nondiscrimination protections that bar HHS‑grant‑funded service providers from discriminating against program participants and beneficiaries on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and other protected traits.

On September 16, 2020, Human Rights First announced it will award Cravath its 2020 Marvin E. Frankel award, which is presented annually in recognition of a law firm’s demonstrating outstanding dedication to pro bono service related to protecting refugees, clients in immigration detention and asylum-seekers. The award will be presented during Human Rights First’s Virtual Celebration on October 21, 2020. The Firm is being honored for its work on various asylum cases in 2019, for helping to establish new case law that will likely assist other asylum-seekers, and for its longstanding support of Human Rights First.

On July 17, 2020, Cravath’s Financial Restructuring & Reorganization team submitted an amicus brief, working on a pro bono basis on behalf of Veterans Education Success (“VES”), in support of Plaintiff‑Appellee Kevin J. Rosenberg, a veteran who sought to discharge his student loan debts as part of his Chapter 7 proceeding. Student loan debt obligations are notoriously difficult to discharge even in bankruptcy, and Mr. Rosenberg’s success in the bankruptcy court was a rare victory for student loan debtors.

On July 21, 2020, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (“NLADA”), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel, announced that Cravath will be honored with a 2020 “Beacon of Justice Award,” for pro bono work serving vulnerable people seeking asylum in the United States. Those individuals represented by Cravath included men and women from Africa, Europe and Latin America, each of whom faced serious prospects of persecution in the countries they left. Cravath also provided pro bono legal services to sick children and their families facing various immigration issues, and to immigrant victims of domestic violence.

On June 15, 2020 the U.S. Supreme Court held in a 6‑3 ruling that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Court held that even if Congress may not have expressly contemplated discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity when enacting the Civil Rights Act, Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination protects LGBTQ+ employees by its plain language.

On May 8, 2020, Judge Timothy Cain of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina denied in part motions to dismiss the complaint of Cravath pro bono clients Eden Rogers and Brandy Welch. The court held that Eden and Brandy’s claims for violations of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and for equal protection violations based on sexual orientation discrimination could proceed to discovery.

On April 17, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit granted a Cravath pro bono client’s petition for review, concluding that the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) erred in dismissing his application for relief under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) and the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). The panel vacated the BIA’s removal order and remanded the case to the BIA for further proceedings.

On February 4, 2020, in a suit brought by Cravath and Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”) on behalf of Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York, the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled and individual plaintiffs, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that the New York Police Department violated federal law under the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to make police stations accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities. The victory could result in expanded access and accommodations at police stations throughout the city.

Cravath is representing eight “juvenile lifers”—individuals sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after committing homicide offenses in New York when under 18 years of age—in a class action suit against the Commissioners of the New York Board of Parole. The suit claims the Parole Board violates the class members’ constitutional rights by making parole determinations that are not based on “demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation,” as is legally required for juvenile lifers.

On July 23, 2019, Cravath and Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”) announced that the Honorable Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York approved a historic class action settlement that establishes a comprehensive remedial plan to dramatically improve sidewalk accessibility for New York City’s disability community. The settlement stems from and resolves two separate class action lawsuits filed in 1994 and 2014. Cravath, alongside DRA, represented seven disability rights organizations that signed onto the agreement, which requires a comprehensive citywide survey to identify which corners need curb cuts installed or upgraded, and a comprehensive schedule for completing the necessary work. An outside monitor will oversee the agreement.

On March 19, 2019, Cravath and Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”) announced that the Honorable Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York issued preliminary approval of a historic settlement that establishes a comprehensive remedial plan for drastically improving sidewalk accessibility for all members of New York City’s disability community. The settlement stems from and resolves two separate class action lawsuits filed in 1994 and 2014. Cravath, alongside DRA, represents eight disability rights groups in the New York area that have signed onto the agreement mandating a citywide survey to assess which sidewalk corners require installations and upgrades and a comprehensive schedule for completing the necessary work. An outside monitor will oversee the agreement.