FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from LCCR – SF Bay Area
January 28, 2019
Contact: Matt Kovac, mkovac@lccrsf.org, (415) 510-9601
Civil Rights Group Announces MLK Award Winners for Legal Advocacy
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal to keynote dinner honoring awardees
SAN FRANCISCO – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCR) announced the recipients of its annual MLK Awards for civil rights advocacy today.
Awardees will be honored at the organization’s 32nd Annual MLK Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency on Friday, February 1, featuring keynote speaker Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), whose recent visits to the U.S.-Mexico border have shone a light on Border Patrol abuses.
“For over 50 years, LCCR clients and pro bono partners have walked together to protect and advance civil rights,” said Monika Kalra Varma, LCCR Executive Director. “We are deeply inspired by the passion and ever growing commitment of our partners to this work – particularly at this moment in our country when there are daily assaults on racial, immigrant and economic justice.”
This year’s award recipients include law firms Morrison & Foerster, for challenging deplorable conditions in Border Patrol detention centers; WilmerHale, for defending the rights of unhoused people; and DLA Piper, for the firm’s work with small business owners of color as part of the Legal Services for Entrepreneurs program.
Awards also recognize Cornerstone Research for their data analysis of racially-motivated suspensions in Modesto City Schools, and the Wright Family for their courage in standing up against the wrongful suspension of their son, Cedric, paving the way for reform.
“From representing asylum seekers to challenging unjust school policies, we have been overwhelmed by the dedication of local attorneys, analysts, and interpreters,” said Keith Wurster, LCCR Director of Pro Bono and Strategic Relationships. “The MLK Awards are just one way we show our gratitude to the thousand plus advocates who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients and communities this past year.”
The Awards Dinner starts at 7 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency at 5 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco. Please contact Matt Kovac at mkovac@lccrsf.org for press credentials.
The full awardee list can be viewed below:
WilmerHale, Jack W. Londen Award
Rob Galvin, Laura Goodall, and Keith Slenkovich
Morrison & Foerster, Father Cuchulain Moriarty Award
Elizabeth Balassone, Pieter de Ganon, Anne Lepore, Colette Reiner Mayer, Gary Stenger, and Louise Stoupe
DLA Piper, Robert A. Thompson Award
Suzanna Brickman and Jeremiah C. Kauffman
Cornerstone Research, Robert G. Sproul, Jr. Award
Dina Older Aguilar, Nikhil Gupta, Stacy Ni, Devin Saiki and Hans Weemaes
The Wright Family, Living the Dream Award
James, Julia, Cedric, Richard, Geoffrey, and Marcus Wright
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