Pro Bono Newsletter Summer 2013

The firm established the Charles F.C. Ruff ProBonoAwardsCeremonyin2001inmemoryofitsesteemedcolleagueChuckRuff.Allattorneyswhorecord50ormorehoursofprobonoserviceintheprecedingtwelvemonthsare recognized.A senior attorney and associate (or seniorattorneys and associates) are selected to receive specialawards for their outstanding contributions to the firm’sprobonoprogram.Thisyear’sawardsceremonywasheldon July 15th and featured cross-office presentations. Inrecognitionoftheworkofthetrialteaminthefederalclassaction lawsuit,Floyd, et al. v. City of New York, et al. (Floyd ),associatesGretchenHoffVarner(SF),KaseyMartini(NY)andBruceCorey (NY) received theRuff award for theirteameffort.Thisyear’sseniorattorneyawardwaspresentedtoDennisAuerbach, of counsel in theDCoffice, forhisworkinanimportantclassactionhumanrightscase.

Forthepastfiveyears,Covington,alongwithco-counsel,theCenterforConstitutionalRightsandBedlockLevine, has represented a class ofBlack andLatinoNew

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From the Public Service Committee

Covington has had a strong commitment topublic service since its founding. The range of pro bonomatters highlighted in this newsletter reflects the firm’sdeep commitment to public service as well as its manysuccessesinprovidingjusticeforthemostvulnerableinourcommunity. OnJuly15,weheldourannualCharlesF.C. Ruff Pro Bono Awards Ceremony, wherewe recognizedall attorneyswhorecorded50ormore hours of pro bono service in the preced-ingtwelvemonths,aswellasindividualattorneyswhodemonstratedanexceptionalcommitmenttoprobono.This yearwe recognized theworkofthetrialteaminthefederalclassactionlawsuit,Floyd v. City of New York,challengingtheunconsti-tutionalstops-and-frisksmadeonthebasisofraceoreth-nicity.We also recognizedDennisAuerbach forhisworkin a class action human rights case on behalf of a groupofFilipinoteachers.MartyGoldreceivedtheJamesMcKayawardforhisworkonthe1882Project,securingCongressionalresolutions of apology for the Chineseexclusionlawsofthe1890s.Ourkeynotespeaker at the ceremony was StephenBright,presidentandseniorcounselattheSouthernCenterforHumanRightsinAt-lanta,whospokemovinglyaboutthe in-adequaterepresentationprovidedtopoorpeopleaccusedofcrimes.

WithregardtothejusticegapMr.Brightspokeof,Covingtoncontinueditstraditionofrepresentingindigentclients in the criminal defense system. Firm attorneysrecentlysecuredmajorpost-convictionvictoriesinmatterswhere ineffective assistance of trial counsel was at issue,

includingmatterswheretheclientwasondeathrow. We achieved another notable successthis year in Melendres v. Arpaio, a nationallypublicized Arizona racial profiling case wherea Covington team challenged disproportionatestopsandarrestsofLatinodriversandpassengersby an Arizona sheriff’s office. The courtpermanentlyenjoinedtheuseofraceasafactorin such stops and arrests—a significant civil

rights victory for our team and our clients. Additionally,Covingtonhasbeeninvolvedwithseveralkeycasesinthemarriageequalitymovement,allpartofthefirm’slong-term

commitmenttothisissue.Thisincludedpreparing amicus briefs in California’sProposition 8 litigation and in theDefenseofMarriageActlitigation,bothofwhichsawfavorableoutcomesat theU.S.SupremeCourtearlierthisyear. I hope you’ll take time to readabouttheseandothercasesinthisissueof our pro bononewsletter.Thank youfor your continued commitment toservingourcommunity.

The 2013 Charles F.C. Ruff Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Awards

Alan Pemberton Co-Chair, Public Service

Committee

In This IssuePublic Service Committee Message 2

Pro Bono Lawyers of the Year 2

Pro Bono News  4

Limited-Scope Pro Bono Clinics  7

Capacity Building Assistance for Nonprofit Organizations 9

Bruce Corey, Gretchen Hoff Varner, Kasey Martini, Eric Hellerman pose in front of

the federal courthouse in Manhattan.

(Continued on page 3)

YorkersagainsttheNewYorkCityPoliceDepartmentandtheCityofNewYork.Thefederalclassactionlawsuit,Floyd,challengesthepoliciesandpracticesoftheNewYorkPo-liceDepartment(NYPD)thatresultinmassivenumbersofstops-and-frisksmadeon thebasisof raceorethnicity, inviolationoftheFourteenthAmendment,andwithoutrea-sonable suspicion,in violation of theFourth Amend-ment. The case hasgenerated incred-ible publicity andignited a politicalcontroversyinNewYorkCity.

Over20Covington attor-neys worked onthe lawsuit overthe years.Our firstmajor victory wasin June 2012, whenJudge Scheindlin oftheUnitedStatesDistrictCourt for theSouthernDistrictofNewYorkgrantedourmotionforclasscertification.TheCourt concluded that the challenged stop-and-frisksweretheresultofacentralizedNYPD-widepolicyandcertifiedaclassofallindividualswhohadbeenunlawfullystoppedandfriskedsinceJanuary2005.TheCourtalso lambastedtheCityfordisplaying“adeeplytroublingapathytowardsNewYorkers’mostfundamentalconstitutionalrights.”OuryearsofhardworkculminatedintheSpringof2013withaneventfulnine-weeklongtrial,featuringtestimonyfromnearly100witnesses,manyexaminedbyCovingtonattor-neys.

TheCovingtontrialteam,consistingofGretchen,Kasey, and Bruce and headed by Eric Hellerman (NY),committed an extraordinary amount of pro bono timeto the Floyd matter: each associate has billed over 1,000hours toFloyd since the beginning of 2013 alone. A trialof such size and scope offered unusual opportunities forour associates tomake valuable courtroom contributions:Gretchenhandledtwodirectexaminationsandeightcross-examinations;Kaseyhandledonedirectandeightcrosses;andBrucehandledonedirectandthreecrosses.Brucesaysoftheexperience:“Ipreparedandexaminedmyownwitness,andarguedmotionsandobjectionsinfederalcourt.Itwaswonderful to gain experience in these essential litigation

skillssoearlyinmycareer.”Inaddition,Gretchenkickedoff a powerful three-hour-long closing argument, duringwhich she detailed the 19 unlawful stops that individualwitnesseshadtestifiedto,notedthattheNYPD’slowgunseizurerate“meansclearlytheNYPDisn’tstoppingtherightpeopletogetgunsoffthestreet”;anddescribedhow“the

NYPDhaslaidsiegeto Black and Latinon e i g h b o r h o o d s ,tossingconstitutionalrequirementsoutthewindow.”Adecisionby Judge Scheindlinis expected to comewithinafewmonthsofthetrial’sclosing.

DennisAuerbach receivedthe Ruff Award inrecognition of hisr e p r e s e n t a t i o n ,together with theSouthern Poverty

Law Center, of a class of Filipino teachers who werelured by an unscrupulous labor recruiting firm to teachin Louisiana public schools. Members of the class werecheated out of millions of dollars in the process. Afterthreeyearsoflitigation,whichresultedinatwo-weektrial,thejuryreturneda$4.5milliondollarverdictinourclients’favor,finding that thedefendantsviolatedCalifornia lawsregulating employment agencies and prohibiting unfairbusinesspractices.Thejuryalsodeterminedthatdefendantsmade negligent misrepresentations to members of theplaintiffclass.

As alleged in the lawsuit, the teachers paid therecruiting firm significant up-front fees, which were notrefundable. The teachers went into considerable debt toobtain the funds to pay these initial non-refundable fees.Onlyaftertheteachershadpaidsuchfeesandwereunableto turn back were they told that they would have to paysubstantial additional fees to obtain jobs in the UnitedStates.Therecruiter’sPhilippineagentoftenconfiscatedtheteachers’passportsandvisasuntiltheypaidtheadditionalfees. The exploitation our clients endured was stronglycondemnedbythejury’smulti-milliondollarverdict.Overthecourseofthelitigation,Dennisspentnearly2,000hoursonthecase,andmadecriticalcontributionstoitssuccess.

Charles F.C. Ruff Pro Bono Lawyers of the Year

From left to right: Caryl Pines Curry (pro bono coordinator from 1977 to 1990); Alan Pemberton; Stephen Bright (President and Senior Counsel, SCHR);

Maureen Del Duca (Chairperson of SCHR’s board); Sara Totonchi (Executive Director, SCHR); Tom Williamson.

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Pro Bono News

Judge Finds Violations of Rights by Sheriff in Arizona Victory

ACovingtonlitigationteamearnedahigh-profiletrial victory inMay 2013 in a class-action racial profilinglawsuit inArizona, a casefirstdiscussed in last summer’sPro Bono Newsletter. In Melendres v. Arpaio, the teamconvincedafederaljudgeinPhoenixtofindthatSheriffJoeArpaioandtheMaricopaCountySheriff’sOffice(MCSO)unlawfullytargetedLatinodriversandpassengers.JudgeG.MurraySnow’s142-pagedecisionpermanentlyenjoinedtheMCSO’s practice of using race as a factor in its decision-making. One news account observed that the judge’sruling,“pepperedwithstingingcriticismofthepoliciesandpracticesespousedbySheriffArpaio,”representedArpaio’s“mostdecisivedefeatsofar.”

Attorneys Stan Young, Andrew Byrnes, LesliRawles Gallagher, and David Hults, assisted by summerassociate (and soon to be associate) Priscilla Taylor andparalegal Precilla Mandujano, tried the case to the judgeoversevendaysinJulyandAugust2012,alongwithlawyersfromtheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionandtheMexicanAmerican LegalDefense andEducation Fund.Others inthe firmwho provided key contributions include TammyAlbarrán, Chris Bebenek, Grace Yang, Julie Romanow,Rohna Houston, Kim Sydorak, Seth Kalman, BenjaminSuess, Ortencia Gonzalez, and numerous other supportstaffmembers.

Amoredetailedaccountofthecaseiscontainedinthefirm’spressreleaseaswellastheNew York Times.

Marriage Equality Work

Covington has a long history of supportingLGBT rights and advancingmarriage equality.Thisworkhas continued over the past year through involvement inseveralhigh-profilematters,includingamicibriefingattheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt inCalifornia’sProposition8litigation.

• Marriage Equality in Maryland Until2012,gaymarriagehadbeenrejectedbyeverystatewheretherehadbeenapopularvote.However,atthecounselofCovingtonattorneys,a32-statelosingstreakwasbrokeninNovemberof2012,whenMarylandbecameoneof the first states, along with two others in that electioncycle,toapprovesame-sexmarriagebypopularvote.

Marylanders for Marriage Equality faced a longroadinitsfighttoprotectthemarriageequalitylegislationin Maryland. In 2011, the Maryland General Assemblyconsidered legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. Thebillpassed thestateSenatebut stalled in thestateHouse.TheCivilMarriageProtectionActwasreintroducedbytheGeneralAssemblyatthestartofthe2012legislativesession.BothchambersenactedthelegislationinFebruary2012andthebillwassignedintolaw.Inalastditchefforttoquashthe legislation, opponents of the law—led by MarylandMarriage Alliance—began a petition drive to submit thelegislationtoastate-widereferendum.

Covington served as Marylanders for MarriageEquality’sprincipaloutsidelegalcounselduringtheGeneralAssembly’sconsiderationoftheAct,theMarylandMarriageAlliance’s petition effort, and the campaign to win thepopularvoteonNovember6.

Opponents of the legislation submitted theirsignatures in June, with more than double the amountrequiredtogainaplaceontheballot.TheCovingtonteampushed forward and advised Marylanders for MarriageEquality on election-related matters, including the state’sprocessforformulatingtheballotlanguage;theintricaciesofearlyvoting,absenteevoting,andrecountproceduresinMaryland;andvoterprotectionissues.

Pro bono stories from around the firm

(Continued on page 5)

From Left to Right: Annie Lai (Yale Law fellow; formerly ACLU), Priscilla, Dan Pochoda (ACLU), Stanley Young, Andrew Byrnes,

Andre Segura (ACLU), Lesli Rawles Gallagher, David Hults, Nancy Ramirez (MALDEF), and Cecillia Wang (ACLU).

Pro Bono News

OnNovember6,2012theCivilMarriageProtectionActpassedwith52percentof thevote, allowingsame-sexmarriagetobecomelegalinMarylandbeginningJanuary1,2013–alandmarkvictoryfortheLGBT-rightsmovement.Tom Williamson, Jean Veta, and Scott Freling served asMarylandersforMarriageEquality’sprincipaloutside legalcounselduringthisprocess.

Covingtonundertooksimilarwork intheDistrictofColumbiaafewyearsagowhenitsuccessfullyrepresentedacoalitionofsame-sexmarriagesupportersinthedefenseofequalitylegislationpassedinthatjurisdiction.

• Serving as Counsel for Social Sciences Amici in California’s Proposition 8 and DOMA Litigation

In 2013, Covington continued its role as counselforsocialsciencesamiciinHollingsworth v. Perry,theSupremeCourt case considering the fateofCalifornia’sProposition8.Covingtonhas representedacoalitionof social sciencesorganizationsasamiciateverylevel inthePerry litigation;first in theDistrict Court, then at theNinth Circuit, andfinally at theSupremeCourt. In each instance,Covingtonand its amici argued that Proposition 8 improperlystigmatizedgaymenandwomen,leadingtoadversesocial,psychological,andemotionalimpactsonthemandontheirchildren.These facetscut to thecoreof the impactof thecivilrightsprinciplesatissueandthebenefitsthatsame-sexfamilieswillseefromlegalizedmarriage.Covington’sbriefsanalyzed stigma-related testimony from theDistrictCourttrialinlightofalargebodyofsocialsciencesresearchonthesubjectofstigma.ThesebriefsevolvedfromanamicuseffortbyCovingtonandvarioussocialsciencesorganizationsinthesame-sexmarriagelitigationintheCaliforniaSupremeCourtthatprecededtheenactmentofProposition8.Covington’s

team in each of the federal amicus filings included SonyaWinner,BruceDeming,DavidJolley,andJakeFreed.AmiciattheSupremeCourtincludedtheAmericanAnthopologicalAssociation and the American Academy of Pediatrics,California. The National Association of Social Workersand the American Psycholanalytic Association had joinedCovington’s briefs at the District Court and the NinthCircuit.

Additionally,Covingtonpreparedanamicusbriefin theU.S. SupremeCourt caseWindsor v. United States onbehalfofagroupofpoliticalscienceprofessors,arguingthatgaysandlesbianslackpoliticalpower.Inthatcase,theCourtheldthatSection3oftheDefenseofMarriageAct(DOMA)is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty ofpersons protected by the Fifth Amendment. Bob Long,MarkMosier,andJenniferSchwartzworkedextensivelyonthesubmissionofthebrief.

Attorneys Work Across Firm Offices to Assist the

International Potato Center

In Fall 2012, Covington attorneys ScottLivingston and Tim Stratford (BJ), Peter Trooboff (DC),andSimonFrankel (SF)provided the InternationalPotatoCenter (commonly referred to as CIP) with drafting,comments, and advicewith respect to its negotiation of a“host country agreement”with the government of China.Covington’s advice spannedanumberof issuespertainingtothenegotiations,includingPRCtreatylaw,IPprotection,privilegesandimmunities,andgovernmentaffairs.

The International Potato Center is a Lima-based“root and tuber research-for-development institution”founded in1971 todeliversustainablesolutions toaddressworld hunger, poverty, and the degradation of naturalresources. Through negotiations are still ongoing, theagreement calls for a jointly invested research center—theCIP-ChinaCenterfortheAsiaPacificRegion—tobestaffedbyCIPandlocalscientiststhatwillenableCIPtoconductresearchandtraininginitiativesonpotato,sweetpotato,andothertubercrops,inordertoimprovetubercropproductivityand farmers’ livelihoods. CIP has proposed that the hostcountryagreementrecognizetheinternationalstatusofCIPanditsofficers,andgrantthemcertainoftheprivilegesandimmunitiesenjoyedbyforeigndiplomaticrepresentativesortheirstaff.

Celebration in San Francisco’s Castro district after the Supreme Court’s landmark rulings on gay rights.

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Securing the Release of a Prisoner Under California’s Reformed

“Three Strikes Law”

Covingtonrecentlysecuredthereleaseofaprisonerserving a life sentence for shoplifting,winningoneof thefirst petitions for resentencing filed under California’s re-formed“ThreeStrikes”law.

In1997,Jane(namechangedtopreserveclient’san-onymity)wasarrestedforshopliftingclothesworth$80fromaKmartinFontana,California.Despitetherelativelyminorandnon-violentnatureoftheoffense,prosecutorschargeditasathird-strikefelony.Janewasconvictedandsentencedto28-years-to-life.Duringmorethan15years inprison,Janeovercameaddiction,learnedvaluablejobskills,andbecameamentortofellowinmates.

The matter was referred to Covington from theStanford Law School Three Strikes Clinic. In November2012,CaliforniavotersoverwhelminglyvotedtoreformtheThreeStrikeslaw,eliminatingmandatorylifesentencesforminor,non-violentoffenses.Prisoners like Janequalify forresentencing under the new law so long as the sentencingcourtdoesnotfindtheyposeanunreasonabledangertoso-ciety.Covington’steamdraftedapetitionforresentencing,comprehensivelydocumenting the evidenceof Jane’s reha-bilitationandmusteringfamilyandcommunitysupport.Atthe hearing, the district attorney did not oppose the peti-tion,andthejudgerevisedJane’ssentenceto9years(shehasserved16).Shewasreleasedintimetoattendherson’shighschoolgraduation.

ElenaDiMuzioandJayRapaportdraftedthepeti-tionwiththebenefitofinitialcasedevelopmentbyDeannaKwong and former associateAngelChiang. ParalegalsEl-lenChiulosandRomeoBeranaprovidedinvaluablesupport.HaywoodGilliamsupervisedtheteam.

Challenge to Military Ban on Women in Combat

InMay2012,CovingtonattorneysfiledalawsuitintheU.S.DistrictCourtfortheDistrictofColumbiaonbe-halfoffirmclients,CommandSergeantMajorJaneBaldwinandColonelEllenHaring,challengingtheconstitutionalityofArmyandDepartmentofDefensepoliciesthatexcludedwomen fromcertain groundcombatunits andotherposi-tionssolelyonthebasisofgender.Thelawsuitwasinspiredby theMolly Pitcher Project at the University of VirginiaSchoolofLaw,whichwasformedtoexplorewhethercom-bat-exclusionpoliciescouldbechallengedincourt.

CommandSergeantMajorBaldwinandColonelHaringaredecoratedsoldierswhohaveeachservedwithdistinctionintheU.S.ArmyReserveformorethantwentyyears.Yet,be-causeofthemilitary’scombatexclusionpolicies,thesewom-en were prohibited from pursuing or obtaining positionscommensurate with their capabilities, qualifications andpotential.TheComplaint,filedbyCovington,underscoredhowthepoliciesviolatedtheplaintiffs’righttoequalprotec-tionundertheFifthAmendmentandwerefurtherunlawfulundertheAdministrativeProcedureAct.

Thedefendants,includingtheSecretaryofDefenseandtheSecretaryoftheArmy,movedtodismisstheaction.Afterfull briefingon thatmotion—and less thanone year afterCovington filed the lawsuit—the Department of Defenseannouncedon January24, 2013 that itwas lifting thebanprohibitingwomenfromservingincombat.Whilethatan-nouncementwasavictory,theCovingtonteamnegotiatedajointmotiontostaythelawsuitthroughtheendofAugust2013, toallow time toassesswhether themilitary’s imple-mentationofnewpoliciesislawfulandtodeterminewhetheranylegalissuesremaintobelitigated.

Chris Sipes has led the case, with assistance fromKindraBaer,MaureenJapha,MeganKeane,andformer(andsoontobereturning)associateKayleighScalzo.

Total number of pro bono hours Covington provided in 2012 (attorneys and paralegals):

96,161.95

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Pro Bono News

“Helping the client get a well-deserved fresh start is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I was honored to be among the many people - lawyers, staff, and friends and family of the client - who worked

together to make this possible.” - Jay Rappaport

Limited-Scope Pro Bono Clinics

Limited-scopeopportunitiesareagreatwaytomakeameaningfulcontributiontothecommunity,andworkone-on-onewithclients,withashorttime-commitment.Covingtonattorneysarestaffedtotheseandsimilarprogramsthrougheachoffice’sprobonocoordinators.

• In the aftermathofSuperstorm Sandy,NewYorkAssociate IreneMavolunteeredover the courseof severalmonthsatclinicssponsoredbytheNewYorkLegalAssistanceGroupandtheLegalAidSocietytoprovidelegaladvicetoaffectedresidentsofNewYorkCity.Irenesaysofherexperience,“Throughtheseclinics,Imetandspokewithnumerousindividualswhohadlosttheirhomesortheirjobs,andassistedthemwithfindingtemporaryhousing,andfilingapplicationsforassistance.AlthoughthehelpIprovidedwasonaverysmallscale,Iamgratefultohavehadtheopportunitytospendafewhourseveryweekhelpingothersduringtheirtimeofneed.”

• TheNewYorkLegalAssistanceGroup (NYLAG)hascreated theMobile Legal Help Center (MLHC), thecountry’sfirst-everlegalservicesofficeandcourtroomonwheels.Attorneysvolunteertospend4-5hoursataparticularsiteinthecommunity,wheretheyprovidecounseling,advice,anddirectrepresentationwithoutleavingthevehicle.Avideolinkwiththecourtsenablesaccesstojudgesforemergencyhearings,includingdomesticviolenceandevictioncases.ThisisagreatopportunityforattorneyswithunpredictableschedulesandlimitedavailabilitytoprovideprobonolegalservicestosomeofthemostunderservedandneedypeopleinNewYorkCity.Theissuesthatarisemostoftenareimmigration,familylaw,housing,andaccesstopublicbenefits.

• Lawyers’CommitteeforCivilRight’sSecond Chance Legal Clinicassistsclientswhoareworkingtoovercomebarrierstoemploymentandhousingduetopastarrestandconvictionrecords.Volunteershelpclientswithreentryissuesincluding criminal record remedies such as "expungement", occupational licensing, criminal background reports, andemployment.TheClinicisheldinpartnershipwithMo'MAGIC,acommunityumbrellaorganization,onthelastTuesdayofeachmonth.

• AtProject Homeless Connect (PHC),theSanFranciscoMayor'sofficeandcityagenciespartnerwithnonprofitstoserveSanFrancisco’shomelessresidents.PHCservesover2,000homelesspeopleateachevent,providingthemwithfood,clothingandhealth,socialandlegalservicesallatonceinasingleplace.AtPHC,attorneyscanvolunteerthroughtheJustice&DiversityCentertoassistclientswithlegalservicesandwithobtainingCaliforniaID’sfromtheDMV.

Participants receive services at a Project Homeless Connect Event.

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Limited-Scope Pro Bono Clinics

• Beginninglastsummer,Washingtonofficepartnersandassociateshaveprovidedbriefadvicetoproselandlordsand tenants through theDC Bar Pro Bono Program’s Landlord Tenant Resource Center. TheDCBar Pro BonoProgramestimatesthatlandlordsfileover40,000evictioncasesayearinDC’slandlord/tenantcourt(“L/TCourt”)with98% of tenants and 14% of landlords proceeding pro se through L/TCourt. Regardless of themerits of their cases,unrepresentedtenantsfaceahighriskofhavingjudgmentsenteredagainstthem,whileinexperiencedproselandlordsriskhavingtheircasesdismissed,oftenbecauseofproceduralmissteps.

WiththesupervisionofaDCBarstaffattorney,CovingtonattorneyshelpproselitigantsunderstandL/TCourtproceedings,andassistinthesecasesbyhelpingprepareprosepleadingsanddirectinglitigantstoself-helpmaterials.Volunteerattorneysarenotexpectedtobelandlord/tenantlawexperts,andinfact,Covington’svolunteerscomefromavarietyofpracticeareas.MinghamJi,anassociateintheFoodandDrugpractice,saysthatsheenjoysthechallengeofrespondingtoeachclient’scircumstancesandthat,withthehelpofthesupervisingattorney“youcanmakeadifferencejustbylisteningandprovidingrelevantinformation.”

• Since 2010,Covington partners and associates have assisted in conducting legal intake atBread for the City.Establishedin1974,BreadfortheCityprovidescomprehensiveservicestovulnerableWashington,DCresidents,includingfood,clothing,medicalcare,andlegalandsocialservices.

Eachweek,oneCovingtonattorneystaffsatwo-and-a-half-hourintakesessionatBread’sNorthwestlegalclinic,locatedintheShawneighborhood.Throughconductingintake,attorneysbecomefamiliarwithlegalissuesaffectingWashington,DC’slow-incomecommunityandhelptoaddressclientmattersefficiently--lastyear,throughourwork,wehelpedBreadprovideover4,100individualswithlegalhelpwithfamily-,housing-,anddisability--lawissues.

Food handout at Bread for the City.

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Capacity Building Assistance for Nonprofit Organizations

Thefirmassistsdozensofnonprofitseachyearwitharangeoflegalneeds,fromapplyingfortax-exemptstatustocomplexacquisitions,therebyincreasingthecapacityofthenonprofitsinturntoservethecommunity.Workingwithnonprofitsgivestransactionalattorneystheopportunitytousetheirparticularlegalskillsintheirprobonowork.Belowareexamplesofthatwork:

• WeassistedPlan International (Plan),aninternationalaidorganizationworkinginmorethan50developingcountries,withtheacquisitionof TheCentreforDevelopmentandPopulationStudies(CEDPA),whichwillallowPlantocontinueCEDPA’sworkexpandingeducationalopportunitiesandincreasinghealthknowledgeof womenandgirls,principallyinNigeria.

• WeassistedtheWhat Works Foundation,whichaimstoeducatepolicymakersabouteffectivemethodsof promotingthehealthof womenandgirls,withnonprofitincorporation,taxexemption,andintellectualpropertyadvice.

• WeassistedMission Hiring Hall,anorganizationthatprovidesemploymentservicestolow-incomeandunderservedpopulationsintheBayArea,inreviewingandrevisinganannually-renewableservicesagreementwithoneof itsfunders,theRedevelopmentAgencyof theCityandCountyof SanFrancisco.

• We provided pro bono copyright advice to the Hesperian Foundation concerning its planned useand reproductionof its existingpublications.TheHesperianFoundationanonprofitpublisherof booksandnewslettersforcommunity-basedhealthcare.HesperianHealthGuidesprovideknowledgeandinspireactionforhealthinpoorandmarginalizedcommunitiesaroundtheworld.

• We advised The Millennial Trains Project on formation as a nonprofit organization and on crowdfundingissues.Theorganizationleadscrowd-fundedtranscontinentaltrainjourneysacrosstheUnitedStatesforadiversegroupof enterprisingandcivic-mindedMillennials.Eachtrainjourneyaimstohelpparticipantsgrowasleadersandinspirenewideasinitsparticipantsandbeyond.Thegroup’sinauguraltrainjourneywilldepartAugust8,2013.

• WeprovidedintellectualpropertyadvicetoVoolla Inc.,anorganizationthatseekstoturnvaluablevolunteerskillsintomoneyforcharities.Voolla.orgprovidesanonlinemarketplacewherevolunteers“sell”theirskillstobuyerswillingtopayfortheservices—thebuyer’spaymentamountgoestoacharitychosenbythevolunteer.

• WeprovidedtaxadvicetotheNational Center for Victims of Crime—anonprofitorganizationthatadvocatesforandprovidesresourcestovictimsof crimetohelpthemrebuildtheir lives.Forexample, theorganizationhasrecentlyadvocatedforextensionoreliminationof statuteof limitationsforchildsexualassaultcrimestoallowmoretimeforvictimsof thesecrimestocomeforward.

Pro Bono Program Highlights

In the last 12 months, the firm has taken on more than 250 new pro bono matters, and worked on nearly 750 pro bono matters. To-date, 252 Covington attorneys have participated in 6-month

rotations at Bread for the City, Children’s Law Center and Neighborhood Legal Services Program.

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Sinceitsfoundingover90yearsago,Covingtonhashadastrongcommitmenttopublicservice.Thefirmencouragesallofitslawyerstoparticipateinprobonowork,anddevotessignificantresourcestofindingprobonoprojectsthatreflectthediverseinterestsofitsattorneys.

MuchofCovington’sprobonoworkreflectsthefirm'scommitmenttoprovidinglegalservicestoeconomicallydisadvantagedindividualsandfamiliesinoursurroundingcommunities.Oursix-monthrotationprogramreflectsthiscommitmentbyallowingattorneysandstafftoworkateachofthreeDC-basedlegalserviceorganizations—NeighborhoodLegalServicesProgram,theChildren’sLawCenter,andBreadfortheCity.

Our pro bonoprogram encompasses awide range of areas, including freedomof expressionand religion; civil rights and civil liberties; gay rights; family law; education; landlord/tenant;homelessness;employment;criminalandcourt-appointedcases;policemisconduct;environmentallaw; fairness in government procurements and grants; intellectual property; veterans benefitsclaims,andnonprofitincorporationandtax.ThefirmisinvolvedinsystemicreformprojectsconcerningDC'sprisons,publichousing,andmentalhealthandjuvenilejusticesystems.Ourattorneysaredoinganincreasingamountofmicro-financeandinternationalhumanrightswork.Throughourprobonoprogram,associateshaveopportunitiestoplayaleadroleinrepresentingindigentcriminaldefendantsat trial,onappealand inhabeasproceedings inmatters rangingfrommisdemeanorstocapitalcases.

Thefirm'sprobonoprogramismanagedbytwofull-timeattorneysinDCandtwopart-timeattorneysinSanFranciscoandNewYorkwhoactivelyseekprobonoopportunitiesandmatchnewmatterswithlawyers’interests.

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