2006 Pro Bono Annual Review - Latham & Watkins2006 Pro Bono Annual Review Latham & Watkins Dear Clients & Friends of the Firm: I am pleased to present to you Latham & Watkins’ 2006

2006

Annual ReviewPro Bono

of Contents

Letter from the Chairman 1

Pro Bono Year in Review 2

Office Highlights 6

The Trials of Pro Bono 26

The Ripples of Pro Bono 30

Equal Justice Works 34

Pro Bono Committee 36

Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with an affiliate in the United Kingdom and Italy, where the practice is conducted through an affiliated multinational partnership. Under New York’s Code of Professional Responsibility, portions of this communication contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each representation. Please direct all inquiries regarding our conduct under New York’s Disciplinary Rules to Latham & Watkins LLP, 885 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022-4834, Phone: +1.212.906.1200. © Copyright 2007 Latham & Watkins. All Rights Reserved.

Table

2006 Pro Bono Annual Review � Latham & Watkins

Dear Clients & Friends of the Firm:

I am pleased to present to you Latham & Watkins’ 2006 Pro Bono Annual Review. It’s always an honor to discuss our firm’s commitment to pro bono and community service and to share with you examples of the many great results we have achieved in this arena. We are dedicated to providing free legal services to low-income individuals and nonprofit organizations and to advancing access to justice.

Our forward-thinking approach to pro bono has helped our program to grow and thrive over the years, and we’re immensely proud to be one of the largest providers of free legal services in the world. This year we provided more than $56 million of free legal services around the globe, bringing the total value of our pro bono work since 2000 to almost $260 million. From litigation victories to transactional successes encompassing a wide spectrum of public interest law, our pro bono practice is as broad and diverse as the attorneys in our firm and the communities we serve.

The legal services needs of the underprivileged in our society are staggering. In the pages that follow, you will read about the wide array of services we have provided in our efforts to address some of those needs.

Robert M. Dell

Chairman and Managing Partner

Robert M. Dell

the ChairmanLetter from

Latham & Watkins � 2006 Pro Bono Annual Review

Year in ReviewPro Bono


The practice of law includes the unique ability and responsibility to advocate for equal justice and provide needed representation to persons of limited means. Latham & Watkins recognizes its role in serving the public interest through pro bono work, and we encourage our attorneys to participate in providing legal services to those most in need.

More than 70 years after the firm was founded in Los Angeles in 1934, Latham has grown to more than 1,900 attorneys in 24 offices around the world. Throughout the firm’s history, commitment to the community has been part of our character and culture. We are proud of our long tradition of public service, and we continue to maintain our dedication to improving the communities we serve and upholding the values of our firm and the ideals of our practice through pro bono.

In 2006 alone, Latham personnel provided more than 161,000 hours of free legal services, valued in excess of $56 million.

In the last several years, Latham has built one of the largest law firm pro bono practices in the world. Since 2000, Latham personnel — including attorneys, summer associates, paralegals and other professional staff — have provided more than 860,000 hours of pro bono assistance, totaling almost $260 million in free legal services.

We encourage all of our attorneys to participate in pro bono, and associate pro bono hours are treated the same as commercial billable hours for purposes of associate pace, evaluation and bonuses. There is no cap on pro bono hours. In 2006, more than 1,240 attorneys, in addition to summer associates, paralegals and professional staff across 16 offices, provided pro bono services. This includes approximately 78 percent of the firm’s US attorneys and 37 percent of our European and Asian attorneys.

As a signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, Latham has committed to provide, at minimum, the equivalent of 60 hours per US attorney per year in pro bono legal services. We have met this goal every year since making the commitment in 1999. In 2006, Latham averaged approximately 95 pro bono hours per US attorney and summer associate.

As an essential part of our pro bono practice, Latham works with local, national and international public interest organizations in many different jurisdictions, including legal aid associations, civil rights

Amos E. Hartston

the Pro Bono CounselMessage from


and human rights organizations, bar associations and other nonprofit and community groups, to identify pro bono projects and community needs. Latham attorneys often work directly with these partners in providing legal services, and our program could not exist without their tremendous dedication and support.

Latham attorneys have received numerous awards honoring our pro bono work, and our program is consistently considered one of the top pro bono programs among private law firms.

Our pro bono accomplishments include litigation, transactional and administrative successes, large as well as small, encompassing almost every area of public interest law, including children’s rights, civil rights, community economic development, consumer law, criminal trial and appellate proceedings (including death penalty litigation), disability rights, domestic violence advocacy and prevention, foster children adoptions, homelessness prevention, human rights and refugee issues (including immigration and asylum matters), international law, land use permitting and approvals, landlord/tenant issues, nonprofit corporation counseling and representation, public benefits and special education matters.

As Latham continues to expand globally, our pro bono practice also continues to cross borders and address issues of global concern. In 2006, more than 150 of our attorneys in Europe and Asia participated in the pro bono program, providing approximately $3.3 million in free legal services.

Many outstanding results were achieved in the 161,000 hours of free legal services we provided in 2006. This Pro Bono Annual Review includes only a sampling. Please join us in celebrating the firm’s pro bono accomplishments of 2006. n

”Jim Kearney, Pro Bono Committee Chair

“ It’s amazing to think that since 2000, Latham has provided almost $260 million in pro bono legal services. That truly outstanding effort upholds the traditions of our firm and the ideals of our practice like nothing else I can think of.

Message from the Pro Bono Counsel (continued from page 3)

* Includes pro bono service by attorneys, summer associates, paralegals and professional staff

Hours: 161,000*

Participating Attorneys: 1,240

Participating Offices: 16

Value of Services Provided: $56 million*

�006 Pro Bono Highlights


Advocating for Justice Before the European Court of Human RightsOur European offices have launched an international pro bono initiative to represent private individuals before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France. The ECHR, created under the aegis of the Council of Europe, is the busiest international tribunal in the world, receiving approximately 20,000 new cases annually. The ECHR is entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing a wide array of issues concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms, including torture and right to life, fair trial before civil and criminal courts, freedom of expression, property rights and discrimination.

More than 20 attorneys from our London, Paris, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Brussels offices, with the contribution of attorneys in New York, have joined the project to work with leading NGOs in representing private individuals before the ECHR. The Latham coordinating team includes London associate Stephen Fietta, Paris partners Mark Beckett and Patrick Dunaud and associate José Manuel Garcia Represa, Hamburg partner Sebastian Seelmann-Eggebert, Frankfurt of counsel Finn Zeidler, and New York associates Maya Steinitz and Manfred Gabriel.

Assisting the Romania Helsinki CommitteeThe Romania Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental organization based in Bucharest and a member of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. Latham works with the Committee in providing legal assistance to Romanian applicants before the ECHR. London associate Stephen Fietta and Paris associate Raphaël Kaminsky prepared a written submission to the Grand Chamber of the Court. Two former Romanian journalists who had written an article about a local police officer, alluding to possible embezzlement of public funds, were condemned by the Romanian courts. The journalists sought redress from the ECHR, which dismissed their petition. Working with the Committee, the Latham team, which also included Paris associate Fabrice Fages and New

York associate Céline Burgaud, filed an appeal with the ECHR, which application is pending before the Grand Chamber.

Protecting the Rights of the Mentally DisabledThe Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (MDAC) is an international non-governmental organization based in Budapest, Hungary, that promotes and protects the rights of people with mental health problems and intellectual disabilities across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Latham is advising MDAC on an ECHR case relating to the voting rights of those suffering from mental illness. Hamburg partner Sebastian Seelmann-Eggebert and associate Stefan Widder lead the team, with assistance from Paris partner Emmanuel Drai and associate Maxime de Guillenchmidt and Brussels associate Melissa Cacciotti.

Supporting Torture Victims in International Criminal CourtThe Redress Trust is a UK-based human rights organization that seeks reparation and justice for victims of torture. Latham has been assisting Redress in connection with victim participation issues before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Redress was the main organization lobbying for inclusion of victims’ rights to participation and reparation in the Rome Statute, and has worked to ensure that these rights are preserved through ICC case law and practice. This year has seen various decisions by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber outlining the right of victims to participate at the pre-trial, or investigation, stage of proceedings. A Latham team comprising London partner Robert Volterra and associates Stephen Fietta, Omar Shah and Neil McDonald has been providing extensive research to help ensure that Redress is able to make informed and persuasive interventions in ICC proceedings to give a voice to torture survivors.

Expanding Pro Bono in EuropeThe Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) is a center for learning and innovation that advances human rights by stimulating the development of a public interest law infrastructure in numerous countries. Founded at Columbia University in 1997, PILI is now

headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, with additional offices in the US and Moscow. Working primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia, PILI conducts work in the areas of institutional reform as well as training and education, and places a priority on combating discrimination. Latham has worked with PILI to foster pro bono in Europe, and is working with PILI to further develop conferences and events to promote public interest law in various countries throughout Europe and Asia.

Understanding the Legal Framework for Pro Bono GloballyIn conjunction with the Pro Bono Institute in Washington, D.C., Latham updated and expanded a survey of pro bono practices and opportunities around the world. The study has become one of the primary sources of information on worldwide pro bono, and now includes a discussion of the legal framework, history, culture and possibilities for pro bono in Belgium, China, England and Wales, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as before international courts and tribunals.

Pursuing Pension Claims for Holocaust SurvivorsAttorneys from our Hamburg and Los Angeles offices joined forces with Bet Tzedek Legal Services in Los Angeles to assist with pension claims by Los Angeles-area Holocaust survivors who worked in Jewish ghettos during World War II. Under a German statute enacted in 2002, Gesetz zur Zahlbarmachung von Renten aus Beschäftigungszeiten in einem Ghetto (ZRBG), the German government made available pensions for Holocaust survivors remunerating certain work rendered by them in ghettos. Due to the unique circumstances, it is difficult for survivors to provide sufficient evidence of their work, and as a result a large majority of the pension claims have been denied. The Latham team assists Holocaust survivors in collecting evidence and finding witnesses to support their pension claims. Hamburg associate Dirk Kocher leads the team, with assistance from associates Astrid Link and Julia Witt, partner Björn Dissars and pro bono counsel Amos Hartston. n

Over the past several years, our pro bono program has developed into a global practice, with

Latham attorneys now participating in 16 offices across six countries. Our attorneys in the

United States, Europe and Asia contribute significantly to their local communities as well as

to global organizations whose impact reaches far and wide. Below are just a few of our global

pro bono matters — cases and projects that transcend national borders with respect to the

Latham attorneys who contribute to them and the communities they touch.

Global Pro Bono

Latham & Watkins 6 2006 Pro Bono Annual Review

HighlightsOffice


Fighting for Disability RightsOur Chicago attorneys represent a disabled high school student suffering from Rett Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by impairment of verbal communication, motor skills and cognitive abilities. Refused statutorily guaranteed aids, accommodations and services by her local high school, our client was forced into a segregated school far from home. She and her parents challenged this decision under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other federal laws. Latham represents the family in challenging adverse rulings before the US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and in a separate action pursuing related violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act. The case has garnered significant support from the special education community, with the National Disability Rights Network, Equip for Equality and the Arc of the United States filing an amicus brief on our client’s behalf. The team, which includes partner Juli Marshall, associates Nick Gorga, Peter Moore, Brett Doran and Laura Bauer and paralegal Kelley Evans, is currently awaiting a ruling from the Seventh Circuit.

Creating a Domestic Violence ClinicOur Chicago office partnered with Mayor Richard M. Daley to create a Domestic Violence Clinic staffed by Latham attorneys which will be located at the city courthouse. The Clinic will be dedicated solely to domestic violence issues, and will allow Latham attorneys to assist domestic violence victims in obtaining emergency and plenary orders of protection. More than 30 attorneys from our Chicago office have volunteered to participate in this newly formed Clinic to provide representation to some of the many victims of domestic violence currently seeking orders of

protection pro se. The team involved in setting up this project includes partners Mary Rose Alexander and Brad Kotler, associates Cindy Sobel and Margrethe Kearney and senior paralegal Laura Botkin.

Seeking Justice for Excessive ForceIn May 2005, an unarmed man was severely beaten by several police officers during an arrest. In the presence of at least nine armed police officers, he was punched, kicked in the face and shocked multiple times with a Taser gun while handcuffed. Appointed to represent the victim by the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, partner Doug Freedman and associate Tigran Vardanian brought a Section 1983 excessive force action against the police officers, which resulted in a favorable settlement for our client and entry of a judgment against each of the defendants on police brutality claims.

Advocating for a Troubled TeenAssociate Livia Kiser and summer associates Ashley Levy and Amy French represented a juvenile facing expulsion from school. A rape victim and daughter of a drug addict, our client told a guidance counselor in a confidential session that she would like to use a BB gun to show her mother what it felt like to be hurt so much. Based on this confidential discussion, she was accused of wanting to kill someone at school. She also had been wrongfully excluded from school during which time she received failing grades in all her classes. Latham intervened, demanding a manifestation determination and an Individual Education Plan meeting. Our client was diagnosed with behavioral and emotional disorders and a learning disability. As a result, the school was convinced to drop its recommendations for expulsion and allow her to redo the

ChicagoProviding free legal services

to individuals and nonprofit

organizations who are in need

and without the ability to pay

is important across all of our

offices and practice areas. It

is part of who we are, and

something we all share.

Following is a sampling of our

pro bono work throughout

2006, illustrating just some of

the many contributions of our

attorneys, summer associates,

paralegals and professional

staff. As these matters show,

our pro bono program has had

a remarkable impact on the

lives of our clients and in

our communities.

”Juli Wilson Marshall, partner in the Chicago office

“ work on a diverse array of pro bono

matters tailored to the personalities

and needs of their local communities,

as well as on multi-office projects

with far-ranging impact.

Our attorneys across the globe


year of school that she failed because of her exclusion. Latham remains involved, ensuring that the school system conducts a functional behavioral assessment, implements a behavioral intervention plan and provides an appropriate education for our client.

Creating a Public Art ExhibitCool Globes, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization created to raise awareness about global warming. In conjunction with the city of Chicago and the Field Museum, Cool Globes will present a summer-long public art exhibit featuring five-foot fiberglass globes decorated by local artists in an exhibit reminiscent of Chicago’s 1999 “Cows on Parade.” The exhibit will be displayed in locations along the Chicago lakefront in summer 2007. Chicago associates Colleen Doan, Zachary Judd, Grace Lee and Julie Marion and summer associate Barbara Becker, under the supervision of partners Marcelo Halpern, Bob Goldman and David Heller, assisted with the formation of the organization and continues to provide corporate counsel as Cool Globes lines up sponsors and artists for the event.

Challenging a Wrongful Conviction Chicago partner Jim Cherney has been leading efforts on behalf of a prisoner for nearly five years to present forensics evidence that supports a claim of innocence. With the help of associates Amanda Hollis and Lucinda Gryzenia, the team recently obtained an evidentiary hearing on our client’s post-conviction petition. The hearing will be held in early 2007, and will allow our client the opportunity for the first time to present evidence which could help overturn his wrongful murder conviction.

FrankfurtPreserving Kronberg CastlePartner Martin Meissner represents the Kronberg Castle Foundation Board, which assures the maintenance, preservation and management of 13th century Burg Kronberg near Frankfurt. Offering one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Rhine-Main Plain, the castle now serves as a museum and is used for cultural events. Latham advises the Foundation Board on legal questions regarding civil law and the law of civil foundations, as well

as on various issues of public and real estate law affecting the castle and its surroundings.

Assisting the Städel School of ArtsAssociate Harald Horstkotte and partner Martin Meissner assisted the Städel School of Arts, one of Germany’s most traditional and prestigious art schools, in its reorganization process. The team advised the school on the revision of its articles in order to regulate and clarify the complex legal framework between the city of Frankfurt and the state of Hessen. As the college is financially dependent on the city but organized as a public corporation with the right of self-administration, the legal framework necessitates thorough consideration of the school’s historic background and the implications of higher education law, as well as civil law and the law of public corporations.

HamburgWorking Toward a Common Purpose Common Purpose Deutschland e.V. is the German branch of a UK-based nonprofit organization that brings together leaders from the economic, nonprofit and public sectors with the aim of furthering mutual understanding and promoting civic engagement. Common Purpose runs educational programs for leaders of all ages, sectors and backgrounds. A Latham team including associates Christian Meyn, Ritesh Rajani and Volker Vogt advised Common Purpose on the restructuring of its local and national organizations in Germany and provided assistance on a number of contractual, employment and data protection issues.

Helping Disabled ChildrenNestwärme e.V., winner of the prestigious HanseMerkur Child Protection Award, is a nonprofit organization supporting families with disabled or chronically ill children all over Germany. Associates Dorothea Bedkowski and Christian Meyn, under the supervision of partner Henning Schneider, advised Nestwärme on amendments to its internal structure to reflect the rapidly growing number of committed helpers. The team also assisted in revising the organization’s articles of association to reflect the expansion of services into Luxembourg, taking into account the implications of cross-border tax law.

Advising the German Red CrossThe National Red Cross organization of Germany (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, or DRK), part of the international Red Cross organization, fulfills humanitarian services in accordance with Geneva Red Cross Conventions, in particular taking care of those victimized by

It’s an honor to be among those looking after Kronberg Castle

and helping to preserve this historic

landmark for generations to come. Martin Meissner, partner in the Frankfurt office

“”

Pro bono client Kronberg Castle Foundation Board assures the maintenance, preservation and management of ��th century Burg Kronberg, which now serves as a museum and home to local cultural events

Photo: K

ronberg Castle Foundation B

oard


wars and natural disasters. Given the importance of preventing usage of the Red Cross symbol or name in connection with charitable donations, social services or medical attendance not rendered through the organization, partner Andrea Jaeger-Lenz and associates Astrid Link, Kristina Schaefer and Björn Joachim provided advice to the DRK on a number of issues relating to the protection of the symbol of the Red Cross under German law and under the Geneva Conventions, including questions relating to trademark and licensing issues. The team also advised on a new legislative act accommodating the special status of the Red Cross.

Supporting the Hamburg Children Cancer AssociationThe Hamburg Children Cancer Association (Fördergemeinschaft Kinder-Krebs-Zentrum Hamburg e.V.) is one of the oldest and largest charities in Germany supporting children with cancer. The Fördergemeinschaft recently opened a children’s cancer research institute in Germany, with Latham advising on employment law issues, tax structuring and the drafting and negotiation of cooperation agreements. Latham also assisted in establishing the corporate structure of the institute, including drafting articles of association, bylaws and other corporate formation materials and ensuring that the corporate structure complied with nonprofit law and regulations. Supervised by Hamburg partner Holger Iversen, several Latham attorneys and staff are involved in these efforts, including associates Björn Joachim, Jan-Oliver Hochtritt, Tobias Klass and Tobias Möhrle.

Hong KongSurveying Pro Bono PracticesPartner Mitchell Stocks and paralegal Lily Mak researched and prepared a comprehensive paper for the Pro Bono Institute entitled “Pro Bono Practices and Opportunities in Hong Kong.” The paper surveyed the framework for legal aid and pro bono assistance in Hong Kong and was distributed at a pro bono seminar hosted by Latham and the Pro Bono Institute.

LondonRe-Opening the Roundhouse TheatreThe Roundhouse Trust is a UK-based charity which operates the renowned artistic and cultural center, the Roundhouse, in North London. After seven years of renovation, the Roundhouse, which gained notoriety in the 1960s and 1970s as the venue which hosted acts such as Pink Floyd, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix,

Without Latham’s help, the Roundhouse would not be in the

strong position it is in today. Their

commitment to supporting charities

has meant that we’ve had the best

legal advice available to us. Marcus Davey, Chief Executive of the Roundhouse Theatre

“”

re-opened in June 2006 as a performing arts venue and educational center for disadvantaged youth to participate in the arts. London associates Philip Watkins, Clare Richards, Bobby Reddy, Jaime Jones, Charles White and Chris Hitchins and New York associate Will Seivewright advised the Roundhouse Trust on a variety of matters including the negotiation of construction, funding and sponsorship agreements, performance and venue hire contracts (including an international joint venture with the BBC) and property and employment matters.

Helping Human Rights WatchIn 2006, Latham built on our existing international relationship with Human Rights Watch, one of the largest human rights organizations, to provide ongoing advice on a wide range of matters including UK charities law, tax law, real estate law and general commercial law.

The Latham team is led by partner Nick Cline and associate Scott Campbell, and includes partner Sean Finn and associate Charles White, who have contributed specialized tax and real estate advice.

Supporting International JusticeInternational Justice Mission (IJM) is a human rights agency that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery and oppression through a four-fold strategy of victim relief, perpetrator accountability, structural prevention and victim aftercare. A team of Latham attorneys, including partner John Hull and associates Neil McDonald and Scott Campbell, has been assisting IJM in connection with advocacy projects in Uganda and Kenya. The team has carried out research to support IJM’s pursuit of prosecutions involving alleged land-grab and sexual offenses.

Pro bono client the Roundhouse Theatre in North London, which re-opened in �006 as a performing arts venue and educational center for disadvantaged youth

Photo: G

areth Gardner

Latham & Watkins �0 2006 Pro Bono Annual Review

Los AngelesAdvocating for Children’s RightsThe Alliance for Children’s Rights is dedicated to protecting the rights and futures of abused and impoverished children, completing more than one-third of all foster care adoptions in Los Angeles County each year. Every year, Latham attorneys and summer associates work with the Alliance to complete scores of foster children adoptions. In 2006, our attorneys and summer associates assisted the Alliance with 38 adoptions, including completing and filing necessary paperwork,

In 2006, Latham expanded its relationship with the Alliance for Children’s Rights in connection with its Special Education Project. Through this project, Latham attorneys assist caregivers in ensuring that children’s special educational needs are met. This includes review of school and medical records, interviewing families and representing children and families in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Several Latham attorneys participate in this project, including pro bono counsel Amos Hartston and associates Seena Samimi, Doug Burnaford, Nanette Barragan, Neil Rubin, Sara Goldfarb, Brian Agboh and James Wald. Our team already has secured additional accommodations and more appropriate placements for children based on their disabilities and special education needs.

Challenging the Incarceration of Domestic Violence SurvivorsAs part of the California Women’s Law Center’s Habeas Project, a team of Latham attorneys, including partner Susan Azad and associates Beth Collins-Burgard, Patricia Keane Tegart, Amanda Airo, Dale Collingwood, DJ Moore, Julie Gerchik, Jennifer Barnett, Robert Smith, Trevor Rusin, Daniel Seltzer, Gregory Shea and Terri Lilley, represents incarcerated survivors of domestic violence who were tried and convicted of crimes against their abusers prior to expert testimony on battering and its effects being allowed at trial. Changes in state law now allow these women to submit a petition for habeas corpus challenging their convictions if they can establish that evidence of Battered Women’s Syndrome, if allowed, may have changed the result of their trial, undermining confidence in the verdicts. Several of these cases are pending. Because the habeas process is lengthy, and evidence of battering and its effects is relevant to parole determinations as well, the team also represents several women at parole hearings before the Board of Prison Terms.

Advising the Latino Theater CompanyLatham continued representation of our nonprofit client the Latino Theater Company (LTC), which in 2005 secured, in the face of stiff competition, a heavily negotiated 20-year lease for the federally registered historic Los Angeles Theater Center. Partners Edith Perez and Don Baker, associate Lindsey Drake and senior paralegal Joseph Palombi advised LTC in connection with Center renovations and financing, including contract negotiation, representation on a construction loan and other commercial financing

Photo: R

obert Levins/Daily Journal

Edith Perez and Don Baker at the LA Theater Center, where pro bono client the Latino Theater Company will provide multicultural live theater and educational programs

communicating with adoptive families, conducting adoption hearings and ensuring that adoptive parents are reimbursed for relevant expenses and receive correct adoption assistance payments. Our attorneys also participated in National Adoption Day, a yearly event held the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving, to help foster children find permanent, loving homes. As a result of these efforts, several children (many of whom had waited several years to be adopted) finally spent the holidays with permanent families.

“

”

where the actors on stage look like

the people in the city, and the audience

looks like the people in the city —

African-Americans, Asian-Americans,

Latinos, Native Americans, Anglos...

We couldn’t have done this without

Latham. They brought the best lawyers

in Los Angeles to help with this project.José Luis Valenzuela, Board President and Artistic Director, Latino Theater Company

The idea is to create a space

2006 Pro Bono Annual Review �� Latham & Watkins

arrangements, and provided assistance with a California Cultural and Historical Endowment grant agreement. Latham also advised LTC on compliance with other lease requirements, including periodic reports to the City Council on the project’s milestones. Once restoration is completed in fall 2007, the Center will provide innovative and multicultural live theater as well as educational programs for Los Angeles public school children.

Obtaining a New Trial for a Wrongly Convicted YouthIn 2006, Latham continued its more than seven-year representation of Mario Rocha, an incarcerated youth who has never received a fair trial. In 1997, Mario, then a 16-year-old with no record of gang affiliation and no criminal record, was convicted of murder and attempted murder stemming from a gang-related shooting in Los Angeles. Despite eyewitness statements and ballistics evidence confirming that there were only two guns fired, and overwhelming evidence that the two shooters were known gang members, the District Attorney’s office tried three people for the crimes, including Mario. All three were convicted. In 1999, when Latham first became involved, led by Los Angeles counsel Bob Long, Latham investigated the matter and recognized numerous problems with Mario’s conviction, including substantial evidence that trial counsel had failed to conduct a reasonable investigation, failed to call witnesses who would have provided exculpatory evidence, failed to adequately cross-examine witnesses and failed to point out key evidence that confirmed our client was not involved in the shootings. After several habeas petitions, seven years of advocacy and an eight-day evidentiary hearing presented by Bob Long, partner Marcus McDaniel and associate Ian Graham, the California Court of Appeal concluded that the errors and omissions of trial counsel had deprived Mario of a fair trial. His conviction was vacated in its entirety. Latham continues to assist in preparing the case for re-trial and in ensuring that justice ultimately is served. Our client’s inner strength and battle against injustice are documented in the film “Mario’s Story.”

Securing Asylum for a Persecuted Religious MinorityAssociates Amjad Khan, Alicia Pell and Indira Smith, under the supervision of associate Alexandra Roje, secured asylum for an Indonesian father of four active in the Ahmadiyya community, a bitterly persecuted minority Muslim group. In Indonesia, anti-Ahmadiyya militants have burned mosques, destroyed homes and prompted local governments to ban

Had it not been for my Latham attorneys, I probably would have

died in prison. Today I am free on bail

after so many years and I’m loving

every day of my renewed life in society.

I appreciate life and am grateful.Mario Rocha, Los Angeles pro bono client

“”

Mario Rocha and longtime supporter Sister Janet Harris celebrate Mario’s release from prison on bail and the vacating of his wrongful murder conviction

Ahmadi religious practice. Our client was targeted for publicizing attacks against the community through his volunteer journalism work. As our client became more visible in the fight against religious persecution, he and his family were threatened frequently, and on one occasion he was severely beaten. In a case of first impression for this persecuted minority, our client was granted asylum at the interview level – a rare occurrence – and Latham’s letter brief supporting his application was selected by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services for internal training and reference.

Advancing Disability RightsAfter lengthy negotiations, a favorable class action settlement was reached regarding the conditions and practices at San Bernardino Juvenile Hall Facilities and Juvenile Hall Schools with respect to the treatment of youth with disabilities. The issues addressed included deficiencies in educational services,

mental health services, disciplinary policies, staffing and training, grievance procedures and the use of unnecessary and excessive force on youth confined in these facilities, as well as other disability-related discrimination. Partnering with the Disability Rights Legal Center, partner Maria Hoye and associates Aaron Murphy and Jennifer Ing challenged these practices under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Federal Civil Rights Act, the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and various California statutes and common laws. Under the settlement, changes are required to be made to intake and assessment procedures, educational services, special education and disability accommodations and training. The settlement also provides for three years of monitoring implementation and compliance.

Latham & Watkins �� 2006 Pro Bono Annual Review

Hurricane Katrina Disaster ReliefAfter raising more than $815,000 in contributions through our Hurricane Katrina matching contributions program, which supported more than 110 different organizations assisting with the relief efforts, in 2006 we focused on providing assistance with long-term recovery projects. By funding two Katrina-related fellows to deliver critical legal services to disaster victims and directly involving ourselves in a range of efforts to provide other ongoing legal support, we hope to help pave the way for sustained rebuilding efforts in support of the US Gulf Coast region.

Child Mental Health InitiativesLatham has partnered with Dr. Peter Jensen, a renowned child psychiatrist, and the newly formed REACH Institute (a nonprofit entity set up by San Francisco partner Jerry Peters and Chicago associate Lopa Patel) to address issues related to the mental health of children in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The team brought together local stakeholders, including state health commissioners, mental health providers, educators, advocates and parents, with expert consultants for a three-day conference to assess the mental health needs of children in the affected areas.

Following the success of the conference, Latham has been working alongside Dr. Jensen and his team to form the K.I.D.S. (Kids in Disaster Situations) Alliance, a grassroots consortium to enhance communications among those with a vested interest in children’s mental health in the Gulf Coast region. The K.I.D.S. Alliance

will serve as an online community where members can freely exchange information, including best practices and resources, related to children’s mental health issues and receive assistance in obtaining funding for mental health initiatives. The Latham team includes Chicago partner Juli Marshall, associates Cindy Sobel, Jennifer Jaffe and Lopa Patel and paralegal Cathy Vest, as well as Orange County of counsel Julie Dalke, global creative services manager Eric Weiss and graphic designer Andie Villafañe.

Insurance ClaimsHurricane Katrina left thousands of homes damaged or demolished, causing billions of dollars in damage. Many homeowners had insurance policies but were not fully aware of their rights or how to exercise those rights to obtain desperately needed insurance payments.

In conjunction with Gulf Coast area legal services groups, Latham attorneys from Los Angeles and Orange County represent more than a dozen hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi. Our attorneys evaluate insurance claims, investigate the amount and cause of damage, and work to obtain fair payment from insurance carriers.

With invaluable advice provided by Los Angeles partner Peter Rosen and associate Dylan Willoughby on insurance law, several Latham attorneys provide ongoing representation to Hurricane Katrina victims. The Latham team includes Los Angeles associates Jamaul Cannon, Asha Olivas, James Wald, John Wilson, Jason Kim, Sara Goldfarb, Michele Lorbieski,

Our community is a vital part of who we are and how we live. So when disaster strikes, we recognize the need to respond. An effective response necessitates more than just getting through an emergency — it involves thinking ahead to long-term recovery needs and sustained efforts at rebuilding and regrowth. Through compassion, charity and community support, our attorneys and staff have helped battle the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast region, as well as the severe flooding that ripped through San Francisco’s North Bay in 2006.

Preserving the Past Through Oral History RecordingsStoryCorps is an innovative project which invites people to record their personal oral histories. From sentimental memories and family history to personal accounts of historic events such as the World Trade Center attacks or Hurricane Katrina, StoryCorps helps to create a US national oral history collection housed in the Library of Congress and presented at times on National Public Radio. With two recording booths in New York City and two housed in movable trailers, StoryCorps invites participants to enter in pairs, with one person interviewing the other for up to 40 minutes. Los Angeles partner Roxanne Christ and associates

Jeanne Berges and Shannon Trevino are assisting StoryCorps with various intellectual property issues relating to the recordings, including trademark, copyright, licensing and contract law.

Supporting Environmental Education and Ecological RestorationLatham scored an important and high-profile victory in securing a coastal development permit for the nonprofit Pescadero Conservation Alliance’s planned environmental education camp and field research station. The station, in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, will be an environmental education and ecological restoration center designed to bring at-risk youth from Bay Area communities with little exposure to

Responding to Emergencies

FORWARD THINKING IN...

wilderness to a camp located amid coastal redwoods and rushing salmon streams. The station also will host biologists in residence, who will conduct research on local ecological restoration and lead camp youth programs. Los Angeles partner Rick Zbur and San Francisco associates Lou Leonard and Randi Wallach represented the Alliance in a contentious hearing before the Coastal Commission, which approved the permit in April 2006. Latham continues to represent the Alliance in an appeal before the San Francisco Superior Court, with assistance from Los Angeles partners Gene Lucero and Jim Arnone and associate Courtney Vaudreuil.


Rebecca Torres and Keith Wesley and pro bono counsel Amos Hartston, and Orange County partner Paul Singarella and associate Nathan Logan.

Katrina Legal Fellow, Ranie ThompsonOur Latham & Watkins Katrina Legal Fellow, sponsored through Equal Justice Works, is on the ground in New Orleans for two years providing desperately needed legal assistance to those directly affected by the disaster.

Ranie Thompson started her work in April 2006 in the public benefits unit of New Orleans Legal Assistance, an office of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services. Ranie’s fellowship has focused on a wide range of issues including housing, consumer issues, domestic relations, employment, public benefits and healthcare. Most recently, Ranie has been focused on assisting the low-income community in New Orleans (including those with limited education or disabilities and the immigrant community) in dealing with FEMA assistance and appeals, and in connection with other public benefits and healthcare issues.

Community Development Fellow, David TipsonOur Latham & Watkins Community Development Fellow, sponsored through the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, is a two-year staff attorney with the Lawyers Committee focused on assisting communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

David Tipson assists residents of the Gulf Coast as they continue to face daunting legal problems with insurance, FEMA, landlords and mortgage companies. David’s work includes advocacy on behalf of low-income residents and representation of local nonprofits employing a variety of creative strategies to assist low-income and minority communities in the wake of Katrina. These efforts include assisting affordable housing organizations in historic African-American neighborhoods, working with an emerging nonprofit

building “green” modular affordable housing, and advocating for construction of a new health clinic for low-income and uninsured residents of coastal Mississippi. In coordination with Latham attorneys and other legal services providers and pro bono partners, David also helps organize legal assistance workshops to address community needs.

San Anselmo Flooding ReliefIn early 2006, the San Francisco North Bay area was flooded by severe storms, destroying much of downtown San Anselmo. Working with the San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco partner John Newell and associates Joey Neugart and Jonathan Beardsley set out to help local businesses recover from the disaster. The team worked on solutions for disputes between merchants and landlords; lobbied with government emergency response officials to set up relief stations and provide information on Small Business Association (SBA) and FEMA relief; opened the doors for dialogue between city leaders and state officials; worked with private sector banks and NGOs to establish a help center for assistance in completing SBA loan applications; and created informational flyers about government benefits available to merchants. One year later, San Anselmo’s downtown area again is flourishing. n

Latham’s response to the needs of downtown San Anselmo after the

flooding was truly heartening. It was

tremendously satisfying helping to

preserve the town’s shopping district

and getting to know the human

element of that micro-economy.

Joey Neugart, associate in the San Francisco office

“

”

MoscowAssisting with AIDS PreventionSince 2002, the Moscow office has been assisting AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), a Dutch non-governmental humanitarian public health organization whose mission is to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. AFEW takes innovative and proactive steps in developing, implementing and promoting tools for effective HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment designed for the specific conditions in its target countries. Moscow paralegals Yuri Kozhokin and Sergey Chapaev, along with of counsel Lev Simkin and associate

Joey Neugart lends a hand with relief efforts in downtown San Anselmo after severe flooding hit San Francisco’s North Bay area

Photo: S

. Todd Rogers


Igor Sosnovsky, assisted AFEW on complying with the amended Russian law on non-governmental organizations requiring NGOs to re-register with government authorities within a tight time frame and subjecting them to much broader and stricter reporting requirements. The team also advised AFEW on contractual issues relating to various funding and sponsorship programs.

Supporting Children Spirituality For Kids (SFK) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to stop suffering and chaos in the lives of children around the world through a unique educational program that teaches practical tools and techniques to handle life challenges successfully and proactively, regardless of background, ethnicity or religious beliefs. Several of our Moscow attorneys provided ongoing assistance to SFK Europe in connection with the establishment of an SFK center in Moscow.

New JerseyRejuvenating an Economically Depressed CityA team of Latham attorneys led by Washington, D.C. partner Leonard Zax and New Jersey partner Dave McLean and including associates Allyson Maltas, Jeff Pojanowski, Andreea Prodan and Murtaza Sutarwalla helped the nonprofit New Jersey Community Development Corporation prepare two detailed reports advocating the creation of a new National Historical Park in the center of Paterson, New Jersey. Paterson is an industrial historic site 12 miles west of New York City deemed

Overcoming an AddictionAssociates Andy Camacho and Paul Rosenthal successfully represented a rehabilitation facility resident in conjunction with his parole revocation hearing. Our client was in the process of completing an alcohol and drug addiction program as a condition to his parole when he allegedly was involved in an altercation with another resident, for which the state sought to revoke parole. The Latham team demonstrated that the state could not meet its burden of proof to revoke our client’s parole. The team is awaiting a final determination that could allow our client to complete the counseling and treatment he needs in order to overcome his addictions prior to re-entering the community.

Helping America VoteLatham is assisting the New Jersey Appleseed Foundation in analyzing the state’s efforts to conform with the Help America Vote Act, passed in 2002. The Act established, among other things, a federal mandate for states to create computerized voter databases. Associates Heather Foran and Daniel Lageman, under the supervision of partner Alan Kraus, are working to determine whether New Jersey’s implementation of the statewide database corresponds with Appleseed’s previously published list of “best practices.” Appleseed ultimately will issue a report discussing the Help America Vote Act and New Jersey’s Voter Database Law and covering implementation of the database.

New YorkAssisting a Political ActivistAssociates Michael Kuh and Brad Weinstein won asylum for a client from the Ivory Coast who had been imprisoned and tortured for his activism on behalf of the Dioula ethnic group and the Rassemblement des Republicain, a minority political party. The team assisted in correcting inaccuracies in our client’s prior application for asylum and dealt with the limited documentary evidence that could confirm his identity and date of arrival. Despite vigorous opposition from the government, asylum was ultimately granted and the team was commended by the immigration judge for its well-written brief and well-constructed oral presentation.

Protecting ChildrenRedlight Children is an organization focused on raising awareness about the epidemic of child sexploitation. This worldwide grassroots initiative seeks to reduce the number of children sold to the sex industry and exploited on the Internet through efforts including three films on the real-life experiences of victims of the underage sex trade.

Five Acres, the Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society

Latham was honored with a “Special Recognition Award”

by Five Acres, the Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society of Los Angeles

County. A child and family services agency, Five Acres

strengthens families and prevents child abuse through

treatment and education in community-based and residential

programs. Latham has provided pro bono assistance to Five

Acres over the course of several years to help secure

necessary environmental review and approvals for

much-needed additions to its property. n

the most economically distressed city in America by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development. A National Park could bring enormous benefits to the area, including federal funding and enthusiastic visitors. Latham’s brief in support of the Paterson National Historical Park effort was commended by The New York Times as a “38 page tour-de-force” and leading New Jersey newspapers and broadcast media endorsed the project. Latham also negotiated an agreement with the state to fund $10 million in a partnership with the National Park Service and drafted proposed legislation authorizing the creation of the Park. The New Jersey congressional delegation recently introduced the bill to Congress. Latham’s assistance is ongoing.

Challenging Discriminatory Access to Public FacilitiesNew Jersey associate Lauren Podesta and New York associate Andrew Purdy, under the supervision of partner Carlos Alvarez, represented the Garden State Knights youth baseball league in challenging a municipal ordinance providing discriminatory access to public athletic fields. After two hearings, the Superior Court temporarily prevented enforcement of the ordinance. Latham ultimately convinced the township that the ordinance was discriminatory and helped draft a new ordinance providing for equal treatment for all who seek access to the facilities. New Jersey managing attorney Anthony Staltari and summer associates Michelle Velasquez, Emily Smith and David Serna also provided valuable assistance.

Expanding Nonprofit InfrastructurePro Bono Accolades


New York associates Libby Stockstill and Andrew Wisch, with the help of paralegals Rebecca Klinger and Miranda Hora, Chicago partner Diana Doyle and Los Angeles partner Steve Burgin, are assisting Redlight Children in registering as a nonprofit organization and obtaining tax-exempt status.

Helping Women and ChildrenUnder the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), immigrant women who are married to US citizens or permanent residents and who have been subject to physical abuse or extreme cruelty by their spouses can petition to obtain residency independent from their abusers, freeing them from their dependence on their abusive spouses. Our New York attorneys have established a partnership with Sanctuary for Families, a nonprofit organization that helps women and children who are victims of domestic violence, to provide legal assistance to those seeking independence from their abusers. Through the VAWA program, 38 attorneys and 22 summer associates worked on almost 30 cases throughout 2006, many of which have resulted in a variety of benefits for our clients, including work authorizations, access to public benefits and the awarding of several green cards.

Refinancing a NonprofitThe All Stars Project is a nonprofit organization that creates extracurricular educational and performing arts activities for tens of thousands of poor and minority public school students. Partners Richard Chadakoff and Dave Gordon and associate Alexa Klein assisted All Stars with the real estate aspects of the refinancing of certain tax-exempt bonds in order to raise funds to renovate and install an HVAC system in its multi-purpose building, which serves as a practice space, performance theater, fundraising center and general business headquarters for All Stars. The team drafted real estate documents, assisted with necessary approvals, reviewed real estate diligence and coordinated with various bank counsel in this uniquely structured deal.

Fighting Gender-Based ViolenceOur New York office is working with Sanctuary for Families on a cutting-edge initiative to bring gender-based asylum claims on behalf of domestic violence victims who fear returning to countries where they would be subjected to gendered violence such as female genital mutilation, honor killings and domestic violence. Associates Isorys Diloné, Erika Ruiz, Marc Suskin, David Miller, Mikael Nabati and Celine Burgaud help prepare affidavits, gather evidence, research case law and country conditions, draft legal memoranda and otherwise assist

Latham has provided such tremendous help on so many

fronts — VAWA petitions, orders of

protection, gender-based asylum

claims. It’s great to see so many

attorneys focused on improving the

lives of women and children. Carolien Hardenbol, Co-Director of the Immigration Intervention Project, Sanctuary for Families

“

”

Sanctuary for Families

Sanctuary for Families is a New York City organization dedicated

to the safety, healing and self-sufficiency of battered women and

children. Associate Amy Donovan was honored by Sanctuary for

her work as an advocate for immigrant domestic violence victims.

Amy coordinates the New York office’s partnership with Sanctuary

in representing women seeking protection and assistance under

the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Under Amy’s leadership, approximately 60 attorneys and summer

associates in the New York office worked on close to 30 VAWA

cases for domestic violence victims in 2006.

In addition to supervising

the numerous teams of

attorneys who participate

in the VAWA program,

Amy herself has completed

three challenging cases for

domestic violence victims. n

Amy Donovan (right) receives her award from Carolien Hardenbol of Sanctuary for Families

Pro Bono AccoladesProtecting Immigrants from Domestic Violence


Improving Detention Standards for Immigration DetaineesIn the summer of 2006, roughly 70 Latham attorneys and summer associates from our Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Orange County, San Diego, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. offices continued our participation in the American Bar Association (ABA) Detention Standards Implementation Initiative, helping to promote the Detention Standards agreed upon by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the ABA for facilities housing federal immigration detainees. The Detention Standards establish a variety of criteria for DHS detention centers, including access to counsel, consulates, religious services, recreation, legal services organizations and a library with basic immigration and other legal materials.

Latham sent delegations of volunteer partners, associates and summer associates to visit detention facilities throughout the United States. Teams toured the facilities, met with staff and often had interviews with detainees regarding their experiences. Each delegation drafted a confidential report assessing whether the facility met the Standards, with emphasis on those relating to legal access. According to the ABA, “The overall goal of the program is to recognize both the successes and shortcomings in implementing the Standards and to investigate and to ensure that any and all salient concerns under the Standards are addressed and corrected.”

This multi-office project was led by Chicago associate Allison O’Neill and Los Angeles associate Courtney Vaudreuil, with coordination and assistance from Lauren Podesta in New Jersey, William Pearson in

Securing Human RightsOver the last several years, Latham & Watkins has developed a premier human rights and refugee practice, with particular emphasis on representing the needs of unaccompanied refugee children. In addition to representing dozens of individual refugees each year, we look beyond individual cases toward ways to prevent broader abuses and future deprivation of rights. To that end, our practice includes projects such as immigration detention center assessments and efforts to address the trafficking of women and children.


our clients in preparing materials to be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security in support of their asylum claims.

Advancing Stem Cell ResearchNew York partner Joshua Stein and Washington, D.C. partner Leonard Zax led a team representing the New York Stem Cell Foundation, a nonprofit group focused on the advancement of stem cell research for diseases and injuries including diabetes,

heart disease, cancer, auto-immune diseases, spinal cord damage and neuro-degenerative diseases. Latham advised the Foundation on laboratory space at a Columbia University research facility, protection and licensing of intellectual property, compliance with tax laws and leasing of office space for its headquarters. The team included intellectual property of counsel Jeffrey Tochner and associates Alison DeGregorio, Carrie Girgenti and Sabrina Hassan, and real estate associate Brian Ancheta.

Incorporating the Fair Housing Justice CenterPartner Erica Steinberger, of counsel Maureen Riley and associates Alison DeGregorio, Michelle Mann, Meredith Sheldon and Mark Singer provided corporate, tax and intellectual property advice to the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC), a program of HELP USA. The FHJC sought to incorporate as a not-for-profit entity and obtain tax-exempt status. The Latham team prepared a charter, bylaws and a separation and affiliation agreement,

Orange County, Brook Roberts in San Diego, Elizabeth Pollman in Silicon Valley and Umbreen Bhatti and Devanshu Patel in Washington, D.C.

Addressing Human TraffickingA multi-office team of Latham attorneys, in partnership with the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, worked together to draft a report on human trafficking in the United States. The report, expected to be released in early 2007, examines the laws regarding trafficking in the US and beyond, and relates the human side of trafficking gleaned from countless interviews with victims’ service providers, law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations.

The report explores many areas of the human trafficking problem, including laws pertaining to the protection of refugees and trafficked persons in the US, the demographics and root causes of human trafficking, efforts to combat trafficking and assist victims, and public awareness of the problem of human trafficking. The Latham team, led by San Francisco associate Randy Kim, includes San Francisco associates Xochitl Arteaga, Karli Sager and Jeannie Lee, Silicon Valley associates Lauren Walz, Signe Holmbeck and Joann Liao and Washington, D.C. associate Jessica Hafer.

Pursuing Individual Asylum ClaimsOur human rights and refugee practice continues to have at its core the representation of individual refugees seeking asylum. The pages of this report are replete with examples of asylum work in a number of Latham offices, including representation of refugees from around the globe. n


Pro Bono AccoladesAssisting Immigrant Children

and assisted the FHJC with licensing matters regarding use of the HELP USA logo and other intellectual property.

Supporting the Criminal Justice ActSince January 2001, our New York office has represented several indigent criminal defendants on a pro bono basis through partner Alexandra Shapiro’s service on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel of attorneys for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Our New York attorneys continued their tradition of accepting CJA appointments throughout 2006, adding to a line of cases in which the firm has had great success, including outright dismissals, favorable plea agreements and downward departures at sentencing.

In one matter, Latham was appointed to represent an indigent man accused of narcotics violations. After aggressive discovery and several motions to compel, the case proceeded to a two-week trial. Associate George Royle led the team, which comprised associates Liliana Párias Neuberg, Danny Dominguez, Stevie Laughlin and Melissa Gonzalez-Padron, summer associate Eric Geffner and paralegal Damon Gaynair.

In another matter, Washington, D.C. associate Andrew Warren represented an indigent criminal defendant in a section 1983 action for deprivation of constitutional rights against the city of Yonkers and two police officers, alleging an unconstitutional strip search following an arrest. This matter also proceeded to trial, at which Andrew took the lead under the supervision of New York partner Jim Kearney and with assistance from associate Jason Kolbe and paralegal Ivanna Ursino.

Northern VirginiaProviding Legal Assistance to Servicemembers Northern Virginia associate Greg Harris worked with the Clinic for Legal Assistance to Servicemembers at George Mason University School of Law in the representation of a US Army sergeant who was the victim of identity theft and billing dispute issues stemming from the misuse of his cellular phone account while he was deployed in Iraq. Latham and the Clinic resolved the billing dispute and assisted the sergeant in obtaining a judgment against the person who illegally used his identity. The sergeant and his family currently are receiving restitution payments.

Without Latham, Amadou would not have been able to attend college, develop his talents

and continue to make outstanding and

inspiring contributions to his community.

Amy Meselson, Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society of New York

“”

The Legal Aid Society of New York

New York partner Blair Connelly and associates Sheri Hametz,

Emily Finn, Cindy Caillavet and Tom Hoffman, along with

Washington, D.C. associate Andrew Morton, were honored by the

Legal Aid Society of New York for their work representing Amadou

Ly, a Senegalese teenager whose mother left him on his own in the

United States at age thirteen to receive an American education.

The Latham team met Amadou when he was facing deportation

proceedings at the age of eighteen, within weeks of his

graduation after putting himself through high school. Amadou’s

plight was highlighted by The New York Times after he led

his high school team to victory in a robotics contest but was

prevented from flying to the national finals of the competition

with his classmates due to his immigration status. The Latham

team stepped in to help Amadou secure a student visa,

allowing him to accept

a college scholarship

and pursue his dream

of studying to become

a computer engineer. n

Legal Aid Society attorney Amy Meselson, client Amadou Ly and Latham associate Sheri Hametz at the Legal Aid awards reception


obtaining mutual restraining orders and subsequently establishing that our client was a victim, not a perpetrator, of domestic violence. The team soon also obtained an order directing the husband to move out of the home and stay at least 100 yards away from our client, thereby permitting her and her children to return home.

Winning Asylum for an Unwed Iranian MotherPartner Joe Farrell, associates Gal Dor and Chris Campbell and summer associates Andrew Gray and Nikoo Nikoomanesh secured asylum for an Iranian victim of severe domestic abuse. Our client was persuaded to come to the US to be married on a fiancée visa. After the wedding celebration, physical abuse by her husband drove our client to seek refuge in a shelter. Only then did she discover that she was not officially married, was therefore in the US illegally and was pregnant. If sent back to Iran, our client would have been subjected to harsh penalties for unwed mothers, including lashing, imprisonment, potential stoning and separation from her newborn son. Successfully arguing that unwed mothers in Iran are a particular social group deserving of protection under asylum laws, the Latham team secured asylum for our client.

Obtaining Residency for Domestic Violence VictimsThe Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protects immigrant women and children whose spouses or parents are US citizens or legal residents and have subjected them to abuse. Under VAWA, women and children are able to petition for residency independent from their spouses or parents. Our attorneys work with the Public Law Center to identify women and children eligible to petition for legal residency status. Partners Linda Schilling and Jon Anderson and associates Emily Taylor and Katherine Gonzalez helped to obtain legal residency status for several abused immigrant women and children in Orange County.

ParisAssisting Droits d’UrgenceDroits d’Urgence is a nonprofit association whose purpose is to provide free legal assistance to underprivileged people, primarily in relation to civil rights protections. Associates Coralie Oger, Fabrice Fages and Cécile Angulo work with Droits d’Urgence in connection with providing legal advice at monthly clinics organized in Paris.

Protecting Clipperton IslandPartner Patrick Dunaud and associates Jean-Luc Juhan, Valentine Tassy, Fabrice Fages and José Manuel García Represa represent French

You have been such a blessing in my life! And, no doubt for others as well.

“ ”

Orange CountyCreating a Legal Clinic for Domestic Violence VictimsHaving survived violence in the home, too many domestic violence victims are left to navigate the legal system unrepresented and alone. To help close this gap in Orange County, partners Linda Schilling and Michele Johnson, associates Katherine Gonzalez and Nicole Vanderlaan Smith and paralegal Marian Pritchard have coordinated Latham’s partnership with Chapman University School of Law, Orange County judges, local domestic violence shelters, city and police officials and community leaders to launch the Family Violence Legal Clinic, scheduled to open in early 2007. The Clinic will provide family violence survivors with a full complement of pro bono legal services in order to equip them to break the cycle of violence and start their lives anew. The Clinic will be an integral part of a centralized resource hub for victims of domestic violence in the county and will also include crisis counselors, childcare providers, district and city attorneys, shelter representatives and a family violence detective unit.

Securing Special Education ServicesPartner Dean Dunlavey and associate Temre Beltz represented a blind, severely disabled three-year-old boy who was denied special education benefits by his school district. Essentially abandoned by his mother, the boy was raised by his grandparents, who faced extensive bureaucratic delays and were in need of assistance with the complicated enrollment process at a specialized pre-school. The Latham team assisted with school enrollment and the investigation of other services and resources available to help our client and his family.

Obtaining a Restraining Order Partner Linda Shilling, associate Nicole Vanderlaan Smith, summer associate Jenny Allen and paralegal Rob Dickson helped a domestic violence victim obtain a restraining order against her physically and emotionally abusive husband. Our client found the courage to seek refuge in a shelter after repeated instances of abuse when she observed one of her young sons mimicking his father’s abusive behavior. At their first client meeting, the team discovered that our client’s husband would be seeking a temporary restraining order against her that very day. Latham mobilized immediately,

Client referred by California Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, San Diego

Casa Cornelia Law Center

Casa Cornelia Law Center is a public interest law firm in

San Diego providing legal services to victims of human

and civil rights violations, with a primary commitment to

indigent persons within the immigrant community of Southern

California. This year Casa Cornelia honored Latham in its

annual publication La Maucha for the significant work our

attorneys and staff have done on immigration cases in 2006. n

Advancing Immigrant RightsPro Bono Accolades


explorer Dr. Jean Louis Etienne, noted for his expeditions to the North and South Poles and author of numerous books. Dr. Etienne seeks to ensure the environmental protection of Clipperton Island, an uninhabited French atoll in the North Pacific whose history and legends inspired the novel “Isle of Passion.” The ring-shaped island is home to many unique life forms as well as a large population of crabs and sea birds. The waters around Clipperton Island, home to dozens of species, are heavily over-fished and the whole of Clipperton’s ecosystem is endangered. Dr. Etienne’s project attempts to develop legal and practical means to protect the environment and habitat of Clipperton Island. The Latham team analyzed the legal status of Clipperton Island and determined the relevant legal entities of the island’s “public maritime domain” under international public, corporate and tax law.

Honoring Les BravesIn May 2003, French sculptress Anilore Banon was granted authorization to mount a memorial sculpture on Omaha Beach as part of the 60th anniversary commemoration of the Normandy Landing. The stainless steel memorial entitled Les Braves (“The Heroes”), standing 9 by 15 meters and weighing 15 tons, now pays tribute to the courage of the American forces who landed in Normandy in 1944. The monument is set on the beach at a strategic point where, at high tide, the base of the sculpture is submerged in water, producing a spectacular effect. Having advised on the creation of a company to finance the project, as well as a private donor sponsorship agreement and intellectual property agreements, a Latham team including partner Valérie Bouaziz Torron and associates Noémie de Galembert and Jérôme Barzun is now advising the company in a dispute before the Paris Commercial Court.

San DiegoSecuring a Commission for a Struggling ArtistLatham successfully represented a low income painter referred by California Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Our client is a struggling artist who spent more than two years painting a family portrait but was not paid her commission. Associate Brad Oliphant, supervised by partner Ken Fitzgerald, successfully argued the dispute before the Superior Court, obtaining a victory for our client.

Uniting a FamilyAssociate Kate McSpadden successfully represented two Argentinean brothers from an impoverished suburb of Buenos Aires who, following their mother’s death and abandonment by their father, set out to

Legal Services for Children

Legal Services for Children (LSC) in the San Francisco Bay Area is

dedicated to providing legal and social services to children in cases

involving abuse, neglect, homelessness, emancipation, guardianship,

immigration, mental health, special education and school discipline.

Latham was honored to receive LSC’s “Pro Bono Partner Award” in

recognition of our commitment to children. In 2006, Latham donated

hundreds of pro bono hours to efforts on behalf of children and

youth in the Bay Area.

California Lawyer’s CLAY Award

Silicon Valley partner Dick Ulmer received one of the prestigious

California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) awards for his pro

bono work on several cases related to the California Youth Authority

(CYA), the state organization that provides education, training and

treatment services for California’s youth offenders. In addition to

honoring Dick’s outstanding work, the award is a recognition of the

many Latham attorneys, paralegals and staff who contributed to

CYA-related pro bono matters over the past several years.

San Mateo Legal Aid Society

Our Silicon Valley office was named the San Mateo Legal Aid

Society’s “Pro Bono Honoree” for April 2006 in honor of the

outstanding work of associate Michael Elisofon and others in

successfully assisting a client in a guardianship proceeding. As a

result of their work, our client was granted general guardianship

over an eight-year-old girl with severe asthma who previously had

been bounced from one home to another for several months.

Northwestern University School of

Law’s Children and Family Justice

Center (CFJC) in Chicago promotes

fairness and human rights for

children by monitoring efforts to

improve the juvenile court system,

developing community-based

alternatives to keep children out

of the juvenile justice system and

recruiting and training volunteer

attorneys to provide pro bono legal

services. The CFJC honored Latham

for our work assisting children and

their families through the Center’s

Children’s Law Pro Bono Project. n

Children and Family Justice Center

Chicago associate Nick Gorga accepts the CFJC award from the Honorable Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court

Photo: Children and Family Justice Center

Pro Bono AccoladesSupporting Children


find their aunt in San Juan Capistrano, California. The young brothers were detained by immigration authorities as they attempted to cross the Mexican border on foot. Although one brother was released pending resolution of his case, the other was detained for several weeks while deportation proceedings were instituted against him. Latham successfully petitioned for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for both children, arranged for the boys’ aunt to be appointed their legal guardian and convinced the government to drop its deportation proceedings.

Assisting the Monarch SchoolFounded in 1988, the Monarch School and its committed team of teachers, administrators and volunteers have been dedicated to providing homeless and at-risk children with an accredited education while caring for their basic needs. The Monarch School is a unique example of public and private sector collaboration: the San Diego County Office of Education provides an accredited education for Monarch students, while the Monarch School Project, a nonprofit organization, provides healthcare, clothes, food

Honing Trial Advocacy SkillsWhen attorneys from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) sought to hone the courtroom skills of public interest lawyers from a number of New York City not-for-profit organizations, Latham teamed up with client Altria Group, Inc. to host a unique two-day trial advocacy training focused on expert witnesses and trial strategy.

Over two days, commercial trial lawyers from Latham, Altria and other New York City law firms, all brought together by Altria, drew on their extensive courtroom experience and expertise with complex litigation and expert witnesses to discuss and demonstrate effective courtroom techniques. Held in our New York office’s new state-of-the-art conference center, the event provided the enthusiastic public interest attorneys with the opportunity to refine their courtroom advocacy skills, including direct- and cross-examination of expert witnesses and jury presentations.

The enthusiasm was mutual. “This was a fantastic opportunity to join our courtroom knowledge and experience with our commitment to training and pro bono, and we are grateful to NYLPI and Altria for making it possible,” said Jim Kearney, chair of Latham’s Pro Bono Committee and coordinator of our Trial Advocacy Training Program. More than 25 attorneys from Latham, Altria and NYLPI participated in the seminar.

Establishing a HomeWhen their Sanctuary for Families client, a victim of domestic violence, finally left her abusive home and needed to quickly furnish her own apartment to show child welfare workers that she could look after her son, New York associates Alicia Clifford and Tom Hoffman reached out to their colleagues. The duo sought donations of furniture and household items for their client and her child.

Supporting pro bono clients and community partners means more than just providing legal services — it means compassion, dedication, creativity and a willingness to go beyond what is expected. Latham attorneys have long understood these important aspects of pro bono work, and three recent examples show the teamwork, ingenuity and entrepreneurship that epitomize our firm values and progressive stance toward assisting our pro bono clients and public interest organization partners.

Supporting our Pro Bono Clients and Partners


Securing Asylum for a Pro-Democracy ActivistAssociates Rob Huie and Elidia Dostal, with assistance from associate Jason Ohta, achieved an asylum trial victory for a 27-year-old Burmese victim of arrest, torture and years of imprisonment for his peaceful pro-democracy activities and affiliation with the opposition political party. The team overcame major obstacles in the case, including the establishment of our client’s identity in the wake of a US Department of Homeland Security report suggesting that his identity documents were fraudulent. Latham took extensive measures to support the authenticity of our client’s identity, including contacting Burmese exile groups and having additional materials gathered in Burma and transported to the US. The team ultimately established our client’s identity and the persecution he experienced in Burma, and secured his asylum.

Assisting a Substance Abuse Treatment Center Phoenix House is a provider of residential substance abuse treatment in Southern California, now operating more than 20 residential and outpatient

and enrichment programs that give students a fighting chance to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Following a politically and transactionally challenging four-year process, the San Diego City Council, acting as the city’s Redevelopment Agency, approved a complicated land transfer transaction allowing the Monarch School to continue operating its downtown school for homeless and at-risk kids. The transaction will vest title to certain land in Monarch, cement a critical predicate step to a material donation, and kick-start a capital campaign to convert the existing 10,000 square foot facility into a state-of-the-art 40,000 square foot facility to better serve the community’s neediest children. A Latham team led by associate Stephanie Kuhlen, with material assistance from of counsel David Boatwright, associates Lindsay Herrell, Jamie Mann and Kristin Ward and partner Joel Mack, negotiated the purchase, sale and leasing of the land through complex multi-party negotiations. Invaluable assistance was also provided by partner Mark Pulliam, associate Agnes Gesiko and secretaries Diane Griffin and Ivette Rodriguez.


programs for adolescents and adults in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. A team of Latham attorneys including San Diego associates Kelly Richardson and Ed Balsamo and Los Angeles partner George Mihlsten assisted Phoenix House in resolving a notice of violation received from the county Department of Environmental Health (DEH) related to problems with its drinking water supply. Latham worked with DEH to address its concerns and devised a strategy for maintaining and upgrading the water system.

San FranciscoStopping Persecution Based on Sexual Orientation and EthnicityAssociate Risha Jamison, with assistance from Viviann Chui and Randy Kim and under the supervision of partner Charlie Crompton, successfully represented a homosexual Jordanian man who had been jailed, beaten and repeatedly harassed by the Jordanian police because of his sexual orientation, and also faced discrimination because of his Palestinian ethnicity. Our client eventually was forced to flee Jordan after facing extortion by a relative who threatened

Their request resulted in such immediate and overwhelming support from the Latham community that they ended up with an entire apartment full of furniture. In no time at all, Alicia and Tom had secured for their client items such as beds, a dining room table, a couch, end tables, dishes, a TV and even money to cover her son’s school fees and moving expenses. This tremendous outpouring of support was an outstanding example of the Latham community spirit embodied by our attorneys and staff.

Keeping a Family TogetherWhen Washington, D.C. associate Andrew Morton learned that his client, a 19-year-old human trafficking victim seeking a special juvenile visa to stay in the US, had been called to the immigration office for “a redetermination of her custody conditions,” he suspected there might be trouble. Carrying her baby, our client reported to the immigration office at 10:00 a.m. only to learn that she was to be separated from her child and sent to an immigration detention facility across the country in Phoenix, Arizona that same day.

Andrew stayed with them all day, furiously working his cell phone and BlackBerry to marshal support for his client. As Andrew demanded to speak to immigration

supervisors, calls ricocheted through the offices of Latham colleagues, reporters, congressmen and senators, as well as the press secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington and the agency’s spokesman in New York. By about 6:00 p.m., the deportation officer reported that they had “changed their minds.” Thanks to the efforts of countless supporters both within and outside the firm, our client emerged from the immigration office and headed home with her baby after a long and harrowing day. n

Pro bono advocacy can mean standing up for your client in court, but more importantly, it also means standing beside your client when the walls are closing in.Andrew Morton, associate in the Washington, D.C. office

“”

to “out” him unless he was paid a portion of our client’s salary. The Latham team successfully guided our client through the asylum process.

Protecting a Honduran RefugeeAssociate Satya Satyanarayana, along with project assistants Fayiza Abbas and Andrew Farris and under the supervision of Justin Rhoades, represented a 16-year-old Honduran boy seeking asylum in the US. Our client faced increasingly violent threats from one of the world’s largest gangs and was the next likely victim of two

escalating family feuds which have resulted in the deaths of at least five members of his family. The team participated in a full hearing before the immigration court, convincing the court to grant our client’s request for withholding of removal.

Defending a MinorAssociate Erica Grossman, with assistance from associate Jim Day and partner Steve Bauer, successfully represented a teenage client facing criminal charges for taking bottle rockets to school. The

Photo: R

obert Stolarik P

olaris/The New

York Times

After a long and harrowing day at the immigration office, Andrew Morton continues to stand beside his pro bono client and her baby


team represented our client both in court, negotiating to drop all criminal charges, and in convincing the School Board to forgo expulsion. Our client’s family was ecstatic with the result, and our client was so inspired that he is now considering a career in the legal field.

Securing Asylum for an Award-Winning Activist FilmmakerAssociate Gregg Cochran won asylum for a Colombian activist for women and lesbian rights for Latinas, who came to the US and became an award-winning filmmaker. Latham convinced the government that, based on her new-found notoriety as an outspoken lesbian activist, she would likely be persecuted if she attempted to return to Colombia.

Assisting an Immigrant Entrepreneur Associate Melanie Griswold, with assistance from associates Ayesha Haroun and Rebecca Spain, represented a Guatemalan immigrant and small business owner in a number of corporate matters including entity formation and regulatory advice pertaining to the sale of her own hair care products. With assistance from litigation associates Elissa Germaine and Katie Caldwell, the team also successfully defended our client in a lawsuit arising from the sale of her beauty salons.

program, including associates Jonas Anderson, Gabriel Meyer, Adrian Lu, Jonathan Chang, Laura Boysen, Lauren Walz, Michael Elisofon, Terence Woodsome, Amanda Weare, Jamie Leigh, Mark Tung and Vanita Puri and paralegal Gillian Phillips.

Improving the Conditions of Juvenile DetentionLatham, along with a team of law firms and public interest groups, filed a taxpayer lawsuit challenging the living conditions and treatment of juveniles detained in the San Joaquin Juvenile Hall. As a result of the lawsuit, the facility has already begun to make some improvements, including the elimination of its solitary confinement unit. Latham is currently negotiating with the county for a number of other changes that would substantially improve the conditions of detention. The Latham team includes partner Dick Ulmer, associates Phil Wang and Traci Keith, paralegal Jenny Duckworth, project assistant Ebony Lubarsky, and summer associates Eric Hausner, Alvina Hsu, Catherine LeBlond and Sara Wickware.

Securing Guardianship In partnership with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, our Silicon Valley office continued its successful representation of clients pursuing guardianship petitions in probate court. Latham handled a number of these cases. For example, associate Elizabeth Pollman successfully represented a woman seeking legal guardianship of her minor granddaughter, while associate William Weesner helped a couple obtain guardianship of their 8-year-old grandson, allowing them to better assist with the minor’s health issues which include asthma and ADHD. Associate Michael Elisofon represented a Daly City woman in her successful petition for guardianship of an 8-year-old girl whose parents were unable to care for her. Michael’s outstanding work resulted in the Silicon Valley office being named the San Mateo Legal Aid Society’s “Pro Bono Honoree” for April 2006.

Battling School DiscriminationOur Silicon Valley office, along with Public Interest Law Firm and Legal Advocates for Children & Youth, represented a minority student facing racial discrimination at school, including the school placing a majority of children of the same race in the same classroom. As part of a settlement agreement, the school district enacted a policy clarifying its commitment to avoiding discrimination and will be providing training to key personnel about the policy. Associate Jennie Feldman led the team, which also included associates Signe Holmbeck, Nina Kwon, Anita Pancholi, Sarah Slayen, Lauren Walz and Michael Elisofon and paralegal Celeste Bucciarelli.

Helping an Abandoned Girl Find a New HomeOur client, a young girl from El Salvador, was abandoned by her parents at birth and raised by family members who refused to support her once she turned 15 years old. She traveled by herself through El Salvador and Mexico, and was detained by government authorities while crossing the border into the US. Associates Xochitl Arteaga and Dylan Hale, supervised by partner Chris Yates, secured Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for our client and arranged legal guardianship for her by relatives in California. She is now thriving in a warm home with extended family and doing well in high school.

Sil icon ValleyProtecting Women and Children from Domestic Abuse Our Silicon Valley office launched a new initiative to help abused spouses of US citizens or permanent residents obtain legal status independent from their abusers under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In partnership with San Jose-based Next Door Solutions for Domestic Violence, our attorneys have assisted several women and children victims in navigating the process, with petitions granted in all Latham cases to date. Several members of the office have participated in this important

AIDS Legal Referral Panel

In 2005, Latham’s San Francisco office initiated a pro bono

partnership with the AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP), one

of the oldest organizations in the United States dedicated to

providing direct legal services to individuals with HIV and AIDS.

This year, the firm was honored by ALRP with its “2006 Firm of

the Year Award” at its 23rd Annual From the Heart Reception.

Latham was the first large law firm to partner with ALRP in

taking on various pro bono matters involving housing evictions

and other legal issues for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The

partnership has provided associates with experience working on

various landlord-tenant cases, including negotiating settlements

and attending trial. Associates involved include Ellen Brown,

Jarod Buna, Melissa Chan, Sean Coyle, Sadik Huseny, Sam

Lutz, Katie Meyers, Rees Morgan, Tracey Orick, Sarah Ray,

Melanie Rowen, Mark Seifert and Margaret Tough. n

Serving Persons with HIV/AIDSPro Bono Accolades


The Humane Society of the United States

A team of Latham attorneys was honored by The Humane Society of

the United States at its 2006 Animal Protection Litigation Awards

for ongoing work on a ground-breaking case to halt invasive and

sometimes lethal research conducted on endangered and

threatened Steller sea lions.

Washington, D.C. partner James Barrett and associates Mollie

Farrell, Ahmad Nassar and David Palmer, Chicago associate Andrea

Hogan, and New York associates Heather Daly and Oded Mizrahi

accepted the award for their challenge to the National Marine

Fisheries Service’s decision to authorize the disturbance of almost a

half-million endangered sea lions. The case was successfully litigated

before the US District Court for the District of Columbia, which

vacated the relevant research permits on grounds arising under

the National Environmental Policy Act. Washington, D.C. partner

David Hayes, summer associates Mark Bala in Chicago and Jared

Gross and Jeff Streeter in D.C. and paralegal Jason LaMantia

also provided invaluable assistance with the litigation. n

Pro Bono AccoladesProtecting Animals

Resolving Domestic Violence Issues The Domestic Violence-Limited Scope Representation project is a pilot program created by Santa Clara County and the Pro Bono Project of Silicon Valley and is one of the first of its kind in the United States. The program represents petitioners and respondents in domestic violence restraining order hearings in family court cases involving children, often in cooperation with criminal courts, and on collateral matters such as child custody, support and visitation. At Latham, participation in the program is led by partner John Wehrli, who has handled a number of cases with assistance from summer associate Andrea Groves and senior paralegal Carlotta Burgos.

TokyoSecuring Refuge for an Asylum Seeker from the CongoOur Tokyo office represented an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo seeking refuge in Japan. Despite the initial denial of his application for asylum, partner Hisao Hirose and associate Asuka Fujita were able to secure special permission for our client to stay in Japan, allowing him to withdraw his objection to the government’s original decision.

Registering a MarriagePartner Hisao Hirose and paralegal Fumi Nishiyama assisted a refugee with his application for registration of a marriage with local authorities in Japan. Our client’s application was accepted and his marriage status was duly recognized in Japan without the need for any documentary support from the country he fled.

Washington, D.C.Obtaining Asylum for a Pro-Democracy ActivistAssociates Ahmad Nassar, Andrew Stein and Kirsten Stolte secured asylum for a student activist from Togo who had been repeatedly jailed and tortured by Togolese authorities due to his participation in opposition political groups and peaceful student rallies. Our client was forced to agree to join the ruling party and appear in a pro-government propaganda video in order to secure his release from a military camp. After fleeing Togo, he was able to obtain political asylum in the US with the help of his Latham team.

Working Toward Peaceful ProtestsGallaudet University, one of the leading schools for the deaf and hearing impaired, announced its new president-designate, sparking student protests based on the belief that the search process was flawed and other viable candidates were overlooked. The student protests were met with pepper

spray, security guards and a bulldozer; staff members were terminated without notice; and security officers not proficient in American Sign Language were unable to communicate with students during the demonstrations. Partner Ken Weinstein and associates Clara Martone-Boyce and Teneille Brown, in coordination with of counsel

James Barrett, Oded Mizrahi, Mollie Farrell, David Palmer, Andrea Hogan and Ahmad Nassar attend The Humane Society’s �006 Animal Protection Litigation Awards ceremony

Photo: The Humane Society of the United States

Eddie Correia, represented a coalition of faculty, students and alumni opposed to the appointment, helping them refine their message and relay it to university decision-makers and the public. The appointment ultimately was terminated, and Latham continued to advise the group as to its rights regarding disciplinary actions facing students and staff.


In January 2005, the US Supreme Court held in United States v. Booker that requiring judges to apply the US Sentencing Guidelines, which include mandatory sentencing enhancements based upon judicial fact-finding under the preponderance of the evidence standard, violated defendants’ Sixth Amendment right to jury fact-findings beyond a reasonable doubt.

To remedy the constitutional problems, the Court made three important holdings. First, the Guidelines are “effectively advisory.” Second, a district court’s sentencing decisions are governed by 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), which requires sentences to be “sufficient, but not greater than necessary” to achieve the purposes of sentencing, and enumerates seven guiding factors — only one of which is the Guidelines. Finally, the courts of appeal were instructed to review sentences for unreasonableness, guided by section 3553(a). Booker dramatically changed the federal sentencing process.

Even though Booker makes clear that the Guidelines are no longer mandatory, and district judges are obliged to exercise greater discretion in sentencing, seven courts of appeal have since held that a sentence imposed within an “advisory guidelines” range is presumptively reasonable. Many of the courts of appeal also held that sentences outside of the Guidelines range must be justified by increasingly compelling circumstances and, in cases where the sentence varies substantially from the Guidelines range, by extraordinary circumstances. In November 2006, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in two cases, Rita v. United States and Claiborne v. United States, to decide whether a presumption of reasonableness is consistent with Booker and whether a substantial variance must be justified by extraordinary circumstances.

Pursuing Justice in SentencingJustice may be achieved in many ways, including through impact litigation and judicial decisions. But change is difficult to measure in the short term. Latham attorneys work with an eye toward the future, realizing that justice is a victory only if it is sustainable. Through extensive research and forward-thinking analysis, our pro bono efforts aim to ensure that justice is truly achieved. Our ongoing efforts to promote justice in criminal sentencing is but one example of our dedication to promoting fairness in the law.


On behalf of the New York Council of Defense Lawyers (NYCDL), a prestigious group of criminal defense lawyers including many former prosecutors, a large team of Latham lawyers led by partner Alexandra Shapiro in New York and associate Nathan Seltzer in Washington, D.C., with assistance from leading sentencing scholar Professor Douglas Berman and Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, filed amicus briefs in both cases. This effort followed Latham’s work on the NYCDL amicus brief in Booker itself, which was cited by the Supreme Court. To aid the Court in understanding the practical impact of the presumption of reasonableness and the requirement of extraordinary circumstances, Latham undertook the task of compiling and analyzing post-Booker sentencing cases where the courts of appeal applied reasonableness review.

The team reviewed approximately 3,000 cases, of which 1,515 involved reasonableness review. The results demonstrated that the courts of appeal were adhering quite strictly to the Guidelines — except when reviewing sentences above the Guidelines, which were overwhelmingly affirmed, while virtually all below-Guidelines sentences appealed by the government were reversed. These findings aided the team in arguing that the courts of appeal are not complying with section 3553(a), which requires sentences imposed to be “not greater than necessary” to comply with the purposes of sentencing.

Latham’s sentencing database has been cited in at least one of the merits briefs and has been frequently viewed and downloaded on the Web. The cases are scheduled to be argued in February 2007. n

“”

and analysis on post-Booker cases sets the stage to help the Supreme Court issue a ruling that

gives judges discretion to impose individualized

sentences that are fair and sufficient, but not

greater than necessary.Alexandra Shapiro, partner in the New York office

Our extensive pro bono research


Advocating for the Terminally IllThe Abigail Alliance for Better Access to Developmental Drugs is dedicated to helping create wider access to developmental cancer drugs and other drugs for life threatening illnesses. In a case before a three-judge panel of the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, partner Scott Ballenger successfully represented the Abigail Alliance in partnership with the Washington Legal Foundation. In an action against the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), Abigail Alliance claimed that FDA regulations unconstitutionally bar terminally ill patients who have no approved treatment alternatives from purchasing drugs approved for substantial human testing but not yet for full public marketing. The appellate court noted that “[b]arring a terminally ill patient from the use of a potentially lifesaving treatment impinges on this right of self-preservation.” The Appeals Court ruled 2-1 that once the FDA has determined that a potentially life-saving new drug is sufficiently safe for expanded human trials, terminally ill patients have a constitutional right to seek treatment with the drug if there are no other FDA-approved drugs available to the patient. In November 2006, the D.C. Circuit granted an en banc re-hearing of the case before all 10 judges of the court, scheduled for March 2007. The Latham team includes associates Allyson Maltas, Christopher Turner, Davis Tyner and Joel Beauvais.

Assisting a Tanzanian RefugeeAssociates Allyson Maltas and Rebecca Malcolm, under the supervision of associate Mark Miller, secured asylum for a Tanzanian citizen and active member of the main political opposition party. During violence following the 2000 Tanzanian multi-party elections, numerous supporters of the opposition party were arrested, detained, beaten, raped and killed by police and militia sanctioned by the government. Our client’s brother and fiancé were both killed during the violence, and she was sexually assaulted by the police after being arrested and interrogated about her political involvement. The police continued to stalk her for months, and after she fled to the US, a summons was issued for her arrest if she were ever to return. As a result of the violence she endured, our client suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and major depression, which prevented her from being able to tell her story and filing for asylum within one year of her arrival in the US. The team prepared a detailed brief and worked closely with our client to establish her basis to overcome the one-year bar and ultimately secure asylum relief.

In a lawsuit brought on behalf of The Humane Society of the United States, Latham obtained an order preventing invasive research and hot branding of Steller sea lions and other marine mammals until required environmental review is completed

Photo: N

ational Oceanic and A

tmospheric A

dministration/D

epartment of C

omm

erce

Helping a �/�� SurvivorWashington, D.C. partner Eric McCarthy and associate Ronald Lee, along with Chicago associate Andrea Hogan and project assistant Dawn Wheeler, obtained disability benefits for a victim of the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. Despite our client’s inability to work, the threat of having to move out of his home, and his suffering from extreme emotional disorders and physical impairments resulting in part from his experience on September 11, his application for disability benefits had twice been denied. The Latham team became involved and ended a painful four-year process, securing a favorable decision before an administrative law judge obtaining the financial assistance to which our client was entitled.

Enforcing Environmental Review ProceduresWashington, D.C. partners James Barrett and David Hayes and associates Mollie Farrell, Ahmad Nassar and David Palmer, Chicago associate Andrea Hogan and New York associates Heather Daly and Oded Mizrahi represented The Humane Society of the United States in a lawsuit to protect Steller sea lions and other marine mammals subjected to invasive research. In May 2006, the team obtained an order from the US District Court for the District of Columbia finding that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) violated federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Administrative Procedures Act, when it issued permits to researchers allowing

them to capture, invasively sample and hot brand 3,000 Steller sea lions from endangered and threatened populations. In addition to these procedures, researchers proposed painful measures such as pulling teeth, taking fat and muscle samples, and inserting devices to extract stomach and intestinal tract contents, without requiring permit holders to coordinate their research and without verifying the effects of the research on the endangered Steller sea lion population. A majority of these sea lions were pups and juveniles under one year, and many would have received no anesthesia. The judge ordered NMFS to rescind the research permits until it had completed the legally mandated Environmental Impact Statement analysis. Summer associates Mark Bala in Chicago and Jared Gross and Jeff Streeter in Washington, D.C. and paralegal Jason LaMantia provided valuable assistance in connection with the litigation.

Obtaining Disability BenefitsAssociate Ben Wei, under the supervision of partner Max Grant, obtained disability benefits for a client suffering from fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses who was denied assistance by the Social Security Administration. The team worked with our client’s doctors and reviewed various assessments and complicated medical facts to prepare for an administrative hearing at which Ben served as lead counsel. After noting the strength of our client’s direct examination, the administrative law judge ruled from the bench granting our client the benefits she was due. n


of Pro BonoThe Trials


As fantastic an opportunity as it was to have a stand-up trial

experience in federal district court,

nothing compares to the privilege

of fighting for someone unfairly

sent to death row.Matthew Roskoski, associate in the Washington, D.C. office

“”

Latham attorneys in 2006

represented pro bono clients

in a number of trials before

judges and juries, tribunals

and administrators. Using their

courtroom skills, our attorneys

fought for the disadvantaged,

protected civil rights and

advocated for nonprofit

community organizations

through litigation.

What follows is a sampling

of our pro bono trial work

this year. These trials reflect

the talent and skill of the

participating attorneys who,

through their efforts and

dedication, provided high

quality representation and

delivered outstanding results.

Seeking Habeas Corpus ReliefUS District Court, Western District of Virginia.

A team of Washington, D.C. attorneys, led by partner

Abid Qureshi and including associates Katharine

Saunders, Matthew Roskoski, Brian Stekloff and

Kendall Burman, represented a Virginia death row

inmate in a federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

Associate Cameron Smith and summer associates Zach

Kline, Lisa Perez, Alexandra Shandell, Mia Sussman,

Tristan Tyler and Ben Vinocour also provided

valuable assistance.

The team secured an evidentiary hearing on the issue of

whether prior trial counsel was ineffective in failing to

investigate or introduce mitigating evidence as part of

sentencing. Faced with an accelerated timetable for the

hearing, the Latham team investigated and presented

detailed mitigation evidence that should have been

uncovered as part of the initial sentencing decision.

The team found witnesses both in the United States and

Jamaica (where our client was raised), and submitted

substantial evidence showing the existence of mitigating

factors which were never investigated or presented by

the client’s trial counsel.

Following the evidentiary hearing, the District Court

found that the trial attorneys’ performance was severely

deficient. The court, however, denied relief based on its

finding that our client was not prejudiced by the errors.

Latham continues to pursue the matter before the US

Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Kendall Burman and Katharine Saunders prepare for their client’s evidentiary hearing

Photo: Tracy S

tratton


First Amendment trial team Ben Sahl, Catherine Crump (ACLU), Chris Harris, Chris Hansen (ACLU), Katharine Marshall, Aiden Fine (ACLU), Addison Golladay, Jeroen van Kwawegen, Katy Wood (ACLU), Elan Dobbs, Jennifer Walker and Paul Serritella

Protecting the First AmendmentUS District Court, Eastern District of

Pennsylvania. In conjunction with the

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),

Latham has spent several years challenging

the constitutionality of the Child Online

Protection Act (COPA), a federal law

criminalizing the posting of certain content

on the World Wide Web. The ACLU and

several Web site operators brought the case

in fear that their sites, which cover topics

ranging from health education to gay and

lesbian issues to general interest journalism,

could be at risk of prosecution under COPA.

Latham has represented the ACLU in this

matter since the late 1990s, when the team

first obtained a preliminary injunction against

the statute on First Amendment grounds.

Following two appeals to the US Supreme

Court which ultimately affirmed the preliminary

injunction of COPA, the case returned to the trial court

to determine whether COPA should be permanently

enjoined. During a month-long trial in US District Court

in Philadelphia, the team presented testimony from a

number of Web site operators, as well as extensive

expert testimony regarding technical areas related

to the enforcement of COPA and alternatives such as

voluntary Internet content filters which might pass

constitutional muster under the First Amendment.

New York partner Chris Harris, who has worked

on the COPA case since it began, led the trial team,

which included associates Seth Friedman, Katharine

Marshall, Jeroen van Kwawegen, Elan Dobbs,

Stefanie Leahy, Benjamin Sahl, Paul Serritella and

Addison Golladay, as well as paralegal Jennifer

Walker. The team expects a ruling in early 2007.

Pursuing a Student’s Civil RightsUS District Court, Central District of California.

Charlene Nguon is, in all respects, a model high school

student. She has taken multiple Advanced Placement

courses, ranks among the top of her class, and is

praised by her teachers for her character, attitude and

hard work. During Charlene’s junior year, she began

to date another female student in her public high

school and subsequently was suspended for hugging

and affectionately kissing her girlfriend on campus.

Her sexual orientation was revealed to her parents

without her permission. Ultimately, Charlene was

forced to spend part of her junior year at a different

high school and her grades suffered significantly.

After unsuccessful attempts to resolve the situation

without litigation, the American Civil Liberties Union

requested our assistance in filing a complaint. Orange

County of counsel Collie James and associate Jordan

Kushner and San Diego associate Shawn McDonald,

with the assistance of Orange County partner Virginia

Grogan and paralegal Marian Pritchard, filed a

complaint in federal court alleging that school officials

violated Charlene’s equal protection, free expression

and privacy rights. The suit seeks policy changes

that would prohibit school officials from revealing a

student’s sexual orientation without permission and

selectively enforcing discipline or censoring students

on the basis of their sexual orientation.

In an early victory for Charlene covered by news

media outlets ranging from CNN to MTV, the court

denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, holding

as an issue of first impression that students have

an interest in not having their sexual orientation

disclosed by school

administrators

absent a compelling

state interest. A trial

on the merits was

held in late 2006,

and the team

expects a ruling

in early 2007.

Defending civil liberties before a trial court is something most lawyers

only dream about. To have the opportunity

to actually do so feels amazing.Katharine Marshall, associate in the New York office

“”


Trial work takes on a whole new meaning when representing the homeless. Not only do we

vigorously defend our clients and gain valuable courtroom

experience, we ensure that a typically unrepresented group

receives the fair treatment from both law enforcement and

the court system that they — and everyone else — deserve.Holly Tate, associate in the San Francisco office

“”

Advocating for the HomelessSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco.

In San Francisco, if a homeless person is unable to pay

a citation fine, he becomes unqualified to receive many

public benefits, including access to shelters. In an effort

to break the cycle of homelessness, Latham partnered

with the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights and the

Coalition Against Homelessness to create a panel

of attorneys to represent homeless clients in court,

including at first appearances as well as at trial.

This has resulted in favorable outcomes for many

previously unrepresented clients, and first chair

trial opportunities for associates.

After several trainings, including one on how

to cross-examine police officers, and under the

supervision of our San Francisco partners, associates

now argue motions, attend evidentiary hearings,

negotiate plea agreements and conduct cross-

examinations at trial. Partners Steve Bauer, Charlie

Crompton and Bob Sims volunteer their time to

guide and train associates in this unique program,

including associates Xochitl Arteaga, Jonathan

Beardsley, Brian Berry, Brad Carrick, Viviann Chui,

Emily Dahm, Allison Elmore, Melanie Griswold,

Dylan Hale, Tienlon Ho, Robb Kapla, Marc Lewis,

Margaret Munzig, Betty Pang, Matthew Pope, Sarah

Ray, Karli Sager, Randi Wallach and Blake Williams.

Ensuring an Appropriate EducationDue Process Hearing, Illinois State Board of

Education. Chicago associates Livia Kiser and

Amy Vatner, under the supervision of partner Mark

Mester, successfully represented a young woman

with severe autism in an administrative hearing under

the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The

four-day hearing constituted a full trial, complete with

opening and closing statements, numerous lay and

expert witnesses, and even remote testimony from

South Africa by our client’s current teacher, who was

presenting at an autism conference there during

the week of the hearing.

The core issue was whether our client had received

a free and appropriate public education (FAPE)

during her years at a day school funded by her home

school district. Having proved that our client did not

receive FAPE, the Latham team secured two years

of compensatory education at our client’s current

school, which otherwise is not funded by the school

district and constitutes a tremendous hardship for

her family. This decision is an important ruling for

autistic children as it affirms the fact that autism is

a neurological and not a behavioral disorder, and

that school districts have an obligation to teach an

autistic child replacement behaviors for maladaptive

ones to allow for an appropriate education. n

Dylan Hale, Holly Tate and Brad Carrick confer outside of the San Francisco Hall of Justice


of Pro BonoThe Ripples


Promoting Social Entrepreneurship Around the WorldAshoka is a global, nonprofit organization that supports

social entrepreneurs through all phases of their careers.

Ashoka has created fellowships for more than 1,800

Ashoka Fellows in 60 countries, resulting in projects

that have transformed the lives of millions of people

in thousands of communities worldwide.

For more than 20 years, Latham has been providing legal

services to Ashoka on a full range of matters. Coordinated

by retired Washington, D.C. partner Bill Kelly and New

York partner Ken Schuhmacher, our work with Ashoka

during the past year has spanned the globe and included

several innovative projects. In Washington, D.C., Bill

Kelly along with partner David Hazelton and associate

Devanshu Patel assisted Ashoka in the formation of a joint

venture agreement with the Synergos Institute on their

Islamic Nations NGO Enterprise Trust Program. The team

provided counsel on issues related to USAID funding and

assisted Ashoka with strategies to help it pursue the

joint venture agreement.

Our Paris office advised Ashoka on the establishment

and operation of Ashoka France, a French nonprofit

association loi de 1901, for the development of Ashoka’s

programs in France and other French-speaking countries

in Europe. Associates Julien Vaucheret and Geoffroy

Pineau-Valencienne assisted Ashoka in obtaining French

tax rulings regarding nonprofit exemptions and donations,

including drafting two ruling requests and holding various

preliminary discussions with French tax authorities, and

also advised Ashoka as to French accounting, corporate

and legal formalities applicable to its activities as a

nonprofit organization. Latham also was proud to host,

among other events, the official presentation by Ashoka

France of its first five Social Entrepreneurs selected in

2006. In addition, our Brussels office hosted the President

of Ashoka France on his trip to Belgium for the purpose

of presenting Ashoka to potential donors.

The rewards of pro bono are truly limitless when we look

at the broad ramifications of

our efforts and the many people

whose lives we can help enrich. Julien Vaucheret, associate in the Paris office

“”

Latham attorneys have long

understood that although the

most immediate pro bono

needs often present themselves

in the form of individual cases

and representations, there are

also opportunities to achieve

widespread, systemic change.

We’re always thinking ahead

to leverage the impact of our

pro bono efforts.

By working with forward-

thinking organizations on

creative initiatives, the ripples

of our pro bono work can

reach all corners of the globe,

improving the lives of countless

individuals and communities.


Advancing Principles of Corporate ResponsibilityThe United Nations’ Global Compact corporate

responsibility initiative promulgates 10 core principles

in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the

environment and anti-corruption. It is the world’s

largest corporate responsibility initiative and now

comprises more than 3,000 stakeholders, including

more than 2,500 businesses, located in more

than 90 countries around the world.

Latham’s continuing representation of the Global

Compact, as well as its official nonprofit partner

organization, the Foundation for the Global Compact,

is broad-based. The Foundation was founded in April

2006 to promote the Global Compact’s principles as

a partner organization outside of the United Nations

framework. Latham advised on the incorporation

process and the creation of the Foundation’s official

logo, as well as on nonprofit organization status and

the development of fundraising, anti-discrimination

and other Foundation policies.

Among other projects, the Foundation sponsored

the Principles for Responsible Investment initiative,

which promotes investments in companies that adhere

to six core principles and has as signatories fund

managers overseeing more than $4 trillion. Latham

assisted in drafting a memorandum of understanding

between the United Nations and the initiative’s partner

organizations, and has drafted and negotiated various

contracts to implement the principles.

Latham also is advising the Global Compact with

respect to its July 2007 Leader’s Summit to be held

in Geneva, which will bring together heads of

state, corporate leaders and other stakeholders. The

Fostering the Next Generation of Public Interest AttorneysFor several years, Latham has maintained a

tradition of working with Equal Justice Works

(formerly NAPIL) to sponsor two-year public interest

fellows across the United States. Our fellows have

worked in various cities on innovative projects to

address issues including disability rights, domestic

violence, immigrants’ rights, community economic

development, youth advocacy and much more.

These projects provide much needed legal assistance

to countless individuals. But more than just helping

specific communities or addressing particular legal

Latham team has advised on various summit contracts,

including one aimed at making it a “carbon-positive”

event, meaning the United Nations will more than

offset all of the emissions produced by the conference.

In addition, Latham helped draft a pioneering business

case study of how one Chinese corporation has

incorporated the Global Compact’s principles into

its practices, and also is working to develop a manual

to assist other businesses in incorporating Global

Compact principles into their corporate policies.

The Latham team includes partners and associates

from a variety of offices and practice areas. New York

partner Jim Kearney leads the team along with London

associate Matt Kasdin. London partner Alex Hamilton

provides assistance on outsourcing contracts, while

New York of counsels Jeffrey Tochner and Matt Ahrens

advise on intellectual property issues and carbon

emissions trading, respectively. Associates Jennifer

Pence and Misi Tang in London, Marie Dalton in

Los Angeles and Alison Glusman in New York

also are invaluable members of the team.

I’m still in awe of how the fellowship program has so dramatically expanded the

public interest community’s ability to attract

and keep talented, dedicated young attorneys

who will be our future leaders… Latham gave

me the greatest gift — my wonderful

public interest career. Julia Wilson, Director of the Legal Aid Association of CaliforniaEqual Justice Works Fellow 1999-2001

”

“


By helping us establish and run the Esuubi Trust, Latham assists in providing vital necessities to children

struggling with poverty. It’s amazing how the work of just

a few dedicated lawyers can facilitate our aid to hundreds of

orphans and needy children in Uganda. Thank you Latham!Kate Eyre, Esuubi Trustee

”

“

Children at the Mityana orphanage school in Uganda, sponsored by the Esuubi Trust

issues, the fellowship program trains and encourages

the next generation of public interest attorneys.

For example, 1999-2001 fellow Julia Wilson now

serves as Director of the Legal Aid Association of

California, overseeing public interest work across the

state and encouraging other public interest attorneys.

“I’m still in awe of how the fellowship program has so

dramatically expanded the public interest community’s

ability to attract and keep talented, dedicated young

attorneys who will be our future leaders,” notes Julia.

The bonds forged between our newest public

interest attorneys and their fellowship sponsors run

deep. “Even still,” continued Julia, “when I hear

someone introduce themselves from Latham, I repress

the urge to rush over, shake their hand and introduce

myself as ‘their’ Equal Justice Works fellow. Latham

gave me the greatest gift — my wonderful

public interest career.”

With alumni like Julia dedicated to continuing their

public service careers, the positive impact of the

program continues to extend beyond the two

years of each fellowship.

Providing ‘Hope of a Future’Esuubi means “hope” in the Luguanda language,

and the Esuubi Trust aims to do just that — to give

Ugandan orphans hope of a future. London associates

Andrew Giverin and Jenn Engelhardt established the

Esuubi Trust as a UK company and registered charity

and provided general commercial advice with respect

to its operations in the UK and on the ground in

Uganda. This move helped the Esuubi Trust set up

the platform it needed to grow and raise funds.

The Esuubi Trust is now fully operational, providing

food, shelter, schooling and other basic necessities

to more than 80 children at Mityana orphanage

in Uganda. The charity has recently expanded its

work to provide greater medical assistance to the

children, with a particular focus on AIDS detection

and treatment. All the children living at the orphanage

are tested for AIDS, and those who are infected are

monitored and receive appropriate treatment. The

Esuubi Trust next is endeavoring to further educate

the children about AIDS and other healthcare issues

and to provide testing for the 300 pupils who attend

the orphanage school. n

Photos: K

ate Eyre


Justice WorksEqual


Latham has a tradition of

sponsoring public interest

fellows through Equal Justice

Works, which runs the largest

post-graduate legal fellowship

program in the United States.

Our fellows spend two years

at public interest organizations

across the US, implementing

innovative projects to address

pressing community needs and

joining the next generation of

public interest attorneys.

In 2006, fellow Monica

Ramirez entered the final

phase of her fellowship

addressing immigrants’ rights

issues, and fellow Summer

Stech began her work in

the field of youth advocacy.

We also selected our newest

fellow, Silvana Naguib, who

is making plans to start her

project addressing health care

issues in the prison system.

Summer StechEqual Justice Works Fellow �006-�00�Legal Aid Society of San Diego

Summer began her fellowship in 2006 at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, where she created the Children and Youth Advocacy Project. Through her project, Summer works primarily with indigent transition-

aged youth with disabilities as they transition from school life to adulthood. This group faces unique legal issues involving special education transition services, child support and child custody, government benefits, housing issues and conservatorships. Summer is working to address the needs of this underserved population through direct representation, legal clinics, legal life skills training programs and community outreach.

For example, Summer conducts legal life skills training seminars for youth with developmental disabilities to educate them about their rights pertaining to Individualized Education Programs, conservatorships, Social Security benefits and other issues. Summer also is establishing legal clinics to assist parents and individuals with disabilities in filing due process and special education compliance complaints. She has already begun providing direct representation to clients with disabilities, assisting with transition services and education issues.

Summer has worked with students with disabilities both as a special education teacher and as an advocate for children and youth with special needs. In May 2006, she received the James D’Angelo Outstanding Child Advocate Award from the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law. She received her B.S. from Boston University in 2000 and her J.D. from the USD School of Law in 2006.

Through my fellowship, I’ve had the opportunity to raise

awareness about legal issues affecting

immigrant day laborers, a community

that is the target of so much exploitation

and so many anti-immigrant measures. Monica Ramirez, Equal Justice Works Fellow 2005-2007

“”

Silvana NaguibEqual Justice Works Fellow �00�-�00�Uptown People’s Law Center, Chicago

In the fall of 2007, Silvana will begin work at the Uptown People’s Law Center in Chicago, focusing on litigation and public education to address mental and physical health care issues in Illinois’ prison system.

A staggering number of prisoners in state institutions suffer from mental health problems, with reports of severely deficient treatment and punishment for behavior that may be symptomatic of inmates’ mental illnesses going unaddressed. Silvana will address deficiencies of Illinois prison health care policies through individual and collective claims, partnership with advocates for the disabled and health care professionals, and educational programs for inmates. No other organizations are actively pursuing the health care needs of inmates in Illinois state prisons.

Silvana is well-suited for this fellowship, having interned with the Uptown People’s Law Center, researching the constitutional rights of prisoners and interviewing mentally ill prisoners about the quality of their care. Silvana also interviewed detainees at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center during an internship at the ACLU, and has worked with the Illinois Clemency Project for Battered Women, interviewing prisoners and working on clemency petitions. Silvana is passionate about prisoners’ rights and is dedicated to serving the interests of this under-represented population. Silvana received her undergraduate degree from Texas State University in 2004, and expects her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in May 2007. n


Pro Bono CommitteeLatham & Watkins

BrusselsMelissa Cacciotti+32-2-788-6000

ChicagoMary Rose AlexanderNicholas B. GorgaJennifer Reicher JaffeBradley E. Kotler+1-312-876-7700

FrankfurtFinn H.O. Zeidler+49-69-6062-6000

HamburgStefan Widder+49-40-4140-30

LondonPhilip Watkins+44-20-7710-1000

Los AngelesSusan S. AzadJulie R.F. Gerchik+1-213-485-1234

MoscowWendy J. Atrokhov+7-495-785-1234

New JerseyLauren Podesta+1-973-639-1234

New YorkAaron C. Bielenberg Manfred GabrielMark H. GoldbergNoreen A. Kelly-NajahGeorge Royle+1-212-906-1200

Orange CountyMichele D. JohnsonNicole Vanderlaan Smith+1-714-540-1235

ParisEmmanuel Drai+33-1-4062-2000

San DiegoSteven T. Chinowsky+1-858-523-5400Brook B. Roberts+1-619-236-1234

San FranciscoXochitl ArteagaCharles S. Crompton, IIISadik H. Huseny+1-415-391-0600

Silicon ValleyMichael E. ElisofonJohn E. Wehrli+1-650-328-4600

SingaporeTimothy Y. Hia+65-6536-1161

TokyoHisao Hirose+81-3-6212-7800

Washington, D.C.Amanda P. BilesSara K. OrrKenneth W. Weinstein+1-202-637-2200

James V. Kearney, Pro Bono Committee ChairNew York+1-212-906-1200

Amos E. Hartston, Pro Bono CounselLos Angeles+1-213-485-1234

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2006 Pro Bono Annual Review - Latham & Watkins2006 Pro Bono Annual Review Latham & Watkins Dear Clients & Friends of the Firm: I am pleased to present to you Latham & Watkins’ 2006

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