Law360 Recognizes Wilkinson Stekloff Among Top Firms in 2023 Pro Bono Ranking

Wilkinson Stekloff recently placed third nationally among firms with fewer than 100 attorneys in the 2023 Law360 Pulse pro bono ranking. An essential component of Law360’s Social Impact Leaders rankings, the pro bono ranking is based on several metrics including overall participation rate in pro bono activity. In addition to its third-place ranking, Wilkinson Stekloff’s 86.1% attorney participation rate was the second highest participation rate noted in the firm’s size category. Pro bono representation is woven into Wilkinson Stekloff’s DNA. The firm has handled more than 100 pro bono matters since its 2016 founding, and the vast majority of the firm’s attorneys devote significant time to pro bono matters across areas including family law, immigration, post-conviction representation, appeals, and drafting amicus briefs. In addition to Law360, Wilkinson Stekloff has been recognized by organizations including Chambers and Partners, the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, and the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice …

WS Honored by Law360 as Social Impact Leader

Law360 Pulse recently announced its 2022 Social Impact Leaders Ranking, and Wilkinson Stekloff scored second nationally among firms with fewer than 100 attorneys on the standalone pro bono list. The Social Impact Leaders ranking seeks to measure law firms’ engagement with social responsibility across five pillars: racial and ethnic diversity, gender equality, employee engagement, pro bono service, and responsible business practices. The pro bono pillar is broken out into a separate ranking to allow for more detailed comparison among peer firms, and the score is calculated based on three metrics: percentage of attorneys who provided at least 50 hours of free legal services, overall participation rate in pro bono activity, and average pro bono hours per attorney. While ranked second in its size category, WS posted the highest percentage of participating attorneys — 85.7% — besting the top-ranked firm. WS has innovated away from the billable-hour model, and its holistic …

D.C. Court of Appeals Affirms Trial Win for First Wilkinson Stekloff Pro Bono Victory of 2022

Cali Cope-Kasten recently won an appeal at the D.C. Court of Appeals affirming her earlier trial win in Brian Macklin v. Janai Johnson, a complex and contentious divorce and child custody case. The appeal followed a five-day trial in D.C. Superior Court at which Cali and the Wilkinson Stekloff team, representing their client pro bono, won primary physical custody of the parties’ five children, tie-breaking authority in legal custody, and a 40% interest in the parties’ marital home.  The Court’s 32-page opinion affirmed Ms. Johnson’s victory on all issues and gives hope to other women in Ms. Johnson’s position, “hold[ing] as a matter of first impression that substantial homemaker services can indeed entitle a spouse to an equitable interest in real property purchased by the other spouse before the marriage and used as the family home.” This is the first pro bono victory of 2022 for the Wilkinson Stekloff team and comes on the heels …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Landmark Immigration Appeal

Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff associates Chanakya Sethi and Alison Zoschak have secured a major pro bono win in the Ninth Circuit, convincing the court that non-citizens facing reinstatement of prior deportation orders have a right to counsel in their removal proceedings. Chan was appointed to represent Walter Orozco-Lopez as a member of the Ninth Circuit’s pro bono panel and argued the case in April 2021. The precedential decision could affect thousands of individuals in the Ninth Circuit each year. The federal government has for the last decade deported upwards of 100,000 people annually under an expedited procedure that allows for reinstatement of earlier deportation orders. Unlike non-citizens in ordinary removal proceedings, these individuals have been denied the right to an attorney when they have challenged their deportation on the grounds that they fear return to their native countries. Chan and Alison argued that the Immigration and Nationality Act codifies …

Wilkinson Stekloff Named Top Fundraiser in Legal Aid Campaign

Washington, D.C. — The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia recently recognized Wilkinson Stekloff for its contribution to the 2021 Making Justice Real Campaign, an annual fundraiser to support Legal Aid’s mission to provide legal services to people living in poverty in DC. Wilkinson Stekloff raised the most money from firms with 25 to 49 attorneys, contributing a total of $54,000, enough to staff a Legal Aid attorney for seven months. “Our firm has a deep and lasting commitment to providing pro bono representation, and we are honored to support Legal Aid’s mission to improve access to justice for all,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Kosta Stojilkovic. “Especially at a time like this, with so many people in our community facing possible eviction due to the impact of the pandemic, we take seriously our responsibility to support Legal Aid.” Bringing together thousands of people, the 2021 Making Justice Real Campaign has …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Qualified Immunity Appeal in the Eleventh Circuit

Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff associate Xiao Wang secured another significant pro bono appellate win in the Eleventh Circuit, representing Joshua Dickinson, an individual who was violently assaulted while detained in an Alabama jail following an argument with a family member. The Eleventh Circuit concluded that Mr. Dickinson could continue his lawsuit to vindicate his civil rights. Xiao, along with supervising partner Jeremy Barber, argued on appeal that the district court had correctly allowed Mr. Dickinson’s suit to proceed. Wilkinson Stekloff’s briefing highlighted the unjust and unsafe conditions of the Mobile County Metro Jail, including the information and multiple warnings the County Sheriff and Jail Warden had received prior to the unfortunate event.  The Eleventh Circuit agreed that the Sheriff and Warden were not entitled to qualified immunity, deciding to interpret narrowly a prior opinion that had applied an expansive reading to qualified immunity.   “The jail failed to address multiple …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Groundbreaking Sentencing Appeal

Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff associate Xiao Wang secured a significant pro bono win in the Sixth Circuit, convincing the court to vacate Manndrell Evann Lee’s 60-month sentence as substantively unreasonable.  Xiao had been appointed to represent Mr. Lee as a member of the Sixth Circuit’s Criminal Justice Act panel.   Xiao and partner James Rosenthal argued on appeal that the district court had failed to give sufficient reasons for Mr. Lee’s above-guidelines prison term. The Sixth Circuit agreed and reversed the district court’s decision in a published opinion which established that there must be a “meaningful relationship between the offense of conviction and the defendant’s alleged likelihood of reoffending.” The court further held that there was no such meaningful relationship as to Mr. Lee and vacated his 60-month sentence. The case is now set for resentencing in December 2020.     “We are thrilled with the court’s opinion,” said Wilkinson Stekloff associate …

Wilkinson Stekloff Featured in Law360 Pro Bono Spotlight for Federal Class Action Settlement

Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff was featured in Law360’s pro bono spotlight for its lead role in securing a landmark deal in a federal class action lawsuit over health care for people incarcerated in Missouri.   The settlement, which was finalized by the judge on October 29, mandates the state of Missouri and Corizon LLC to spend approximately $50 million over eight years to provide life-saving hepatitis C drugs to people incarcerated in the Missouri Department of Corrections. The deal also includes training for prison medical staff, an updated testing regime, and regular patient monitoring. Wilkinson Stekloff associate Betsy Henthorne told Law360 that an August 2019 preliminary injunction hearing in the case had been encouraging and was a big step towards the ultimate settlement: “Coming out of the preliminary injunction hearing we felt good about both what we showed the defendants we could do in the courtroom and what they would …

Wilkinson Stekloff Shortlisted for Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2020

Firm Recognized for Pro Bono Program and for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion WASHINGTON — Chambers and Partners recognized Wilkinson Stekloff as an outstanding firm for diversity and inclusion and as one of its private practice pro bono programs of the year. This is the second year in a row that Chambers and Partners has recognized Wilkinson Stekloff’s acclaimed pro bono program. Now a 39-lawyer, majority-women-owned powerhouse, Wilkinson Stekloff was founded on a commitment to developing the next generation of trial lawyers with a comprehensive focus on diversity and inclusion. Nearly 60 percent of the firm’s lawyers — including both name partners and five of its eleven partners overall — are women. Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh applauded Chambers’ decision, stating, “Since our founding, we have worked hard to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive working environment. Every one of the our trial teams has featured a woman or attorney of …

Wilkinson Stekloff Honored by Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice for Exceptional Pro Bono Advocacy

The Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (LACLJ) recognized Wilkinson Stekloff as its Pro Bono Partner of the Year.  In honoring the firm’s pro bono advocacy on behalf of low-income women who are experiencing domestic violence, LACLJ underscored how Wilkinson Stekloff’s representation “has been vital to these individual clients and has brought safety and security to them and their children.”  Wilkinson Stekloff will receive the award at LACLJ’s 47th Anniversary Awards Gala on May 28, 2020. The award follows the firm’s work in a pro bono legal separation and custody case, which culminated in a four-day trial in L.A. Superior Court in July 2019.  At trial, Wilkinson Stekloff associates Roxana Guidero and Rahul Hari secured a favorable judgment for their client, who was seeking an equitable division of marital assets and primary custody of her children.  Wilkinson Stekloff took on the representation as part of its ongoing partnership with …