Wilkinson Stekloff recently secured a victory before the Ninth Circuit in a pro bono matter where our client asserted due process violations related to his incarceration by the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC). The appellate court affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for prison officials, allowing our client’s claims to proceed.
Associates Quinton Weinstein and Owen Gallogly represented our client on appeal, whose claims against the NDOC officials related to an internal disciplinary hearing, after which he was placed in solitary confinement and denied visitation rights for more than eight months. In March, Quinton argued before a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit, explaining that prison officials deprived our client of basic constitutional protections during the proceeding by blocking him from questioning witnesses and withholding critical evidence, while his subsequent punishment established a protected liberty interest. The Ninth Circuit agreed, upholding the district court’s denial of summary judgment based on qualified immunity and allowing the case to proceed.
Wilkinson Stekloff has maintained a deep and lasting commitment to providing pro bono representation. Since its 2016 founding, the firm has handled more than 100 pro bono matters, with the vast majority of its attorneys devoting significant time across areas including family law, immigration, post-conviction representation, appeals, and filing amicus briefs. Wilkinson Stekloff has been recognized by organizations including Chambers and Partners, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, Law360 Pulse, and the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice for making this crucial work a central element of firm life.