Clemency Project 2014 is out to help prisoners doing excessive time due to inflexible sentencing

James Ledford never fought his life sentence. As he describes it, Ledford was "a mixed-up, messed-up dude" addicted to methamphetamine. Ledford's addiction had already sent him to state prison twice, left his children to be raised by grandparents, and cost him his job as a mechanic in his family auto…

Jul 1, 2015 6:25 AM CDT

Deaf man who pleaded guilty to iPad theft that didn’t occur moves ahead in civil case

A homeless deaf man spent six weeks in prison last year before pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of theft over an iPad that reportedly had not, in fact, been taken from its owner. Now Abreham Zemedagegehu is one step closer to exoneration. Although the Virginia criminal conviction still stands,…

Jun 26, 2015 4:00 PM CDT

Stolen bronze baseball statues had made law firm a local landmark

Arriving at work Tuesday morning at their Pennsville, New Jersey, law office, partners Don Masten and Walter Ray noticed the problem at almost the same time. Two bronze statues of baseball players that have decorated the lawn in front of the building for about a decade were gone. In addition…

Jun 16, 2015 3:50 PM CDT

Judge may send letter encouraging lawyers to do pro bono work, ABA ethics opinion says

An ABA ethics opinion issued today concludes that a state supreme court justice may sign a letter on the justice’s stationery that is then mailed by the state’s unified bar association to all lawyers licensed in the state encouraging them to meet their obligations to perform pro bono work. Rule…

May 20, 2015 7:10 AM CDT

Georgetown Law teams up with 2 firms to create ‘low bono’ law firm

When Sheldon Krantz, a retired DLA Piper attorney and adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, published his book, The Legal Profession: What Is Wrong and How to Fix It, in 2013, one of the biggest problems he identified was that there’s a large swath of low-income individuals and families…

Apr 16, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

This D.C. lawyer coordinated a massive pro bono effort on behalf of Holocaust victims

On Nov. 5, 1942, a young Jewish man named Leo Bretholz was herded into a French state-owned railway car bound for Auschwitz. Between 1942 and 1944, the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français transported approximately 76,000 Jews and "undesirables" to Nazi death camps. Fewer than 3 percent survived. Bretholz…

Apr 1, 2015 6:04 AM CDT

Following New York’s lead, California bar officials plan to require pro bono work for admission

Following New York’s lead, bar officials in California are in the process of developing a pro bono program for law students who plan to practice in the state. Like the policy adopted by the New York Court of Appeals, which took effect Jan. 1, the California plan requires 50 pro…

Mar 13, 2015 3:55 PM CDT

School lawyers can provide free legal help for some minors facing deportation, board decides

Unaccompanied minors facing possible deportation can get free legal help from staff lawyers with the Los Angeles Unified School District as a result of a school board vote Tuesday. About 10 lawyers have expressed interest in providing pro bono help, report the Los Angeles Times and CBS Los Angeles. The…

Feb 12, 2015 9:21 AM CST

BigLaw firm fights ‘revenge porn’ with pro bono advocacy; suit alleges copyright infringement

About 50 lawyers at K&L Gates are volunteering their time to fight ‘revenge porn’ in an initiative called the Cyber Civil Rights Legal Project. The pro bono initiative, launched in September, currently represents about 100 victims of revenge porn, in which sexually explicit photos are posted without consent. When the…

Feb 2, 2015 6:45 AM CST

BigLaw lawyer gives up law practice for organic farming

Duane Morris pro bono counsel A. Nicole Friant Stewart left the law firm in December to become an organic farmer in California. Friant Stewart and her husband, David Stewart, bought Hunter Orchards in Grenada, California, from a couple who owned it for 25 years, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.)…

Jan 15, 2015 12:58 PM CST

ABA immigration initiatives bring hope to those who come here to begin anew

Jan 1, 2015 4:00 AM CST

Lawyer dispenses advice from folding table in Harlem

A former prosecutor drives to Harlem several days a week where he sets up a folding table and dispenses legal advice. Lawyer Andrew Bersin, 67, of upstate New York, says he gets satisfaction from helping people—and he also gains about one new case a week, on average, the New York…

Dec 8, 2014 10:12 AM CST

Unwanted Guests

Mark Ryavec lives in a beautifully restored duplex in Venice Beach, the artsy beachfront neighborhood of Los Angeles. He's about half a mile from the shore and even closer to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a trendy artery filled with pricey restaurants and boutiques. Depending on which real estate website you consult,…

Nov 1, 2014 5:00 AM CDT

Supporting Our Veterans: We can help those who serve our country in many ways

Nov 1, 2014 4:20 AM CDT

ABA, other legal organizations call for more volunteers for Clemency Project 2014

The ABA’s Criminal Justice Section put out a call last week for more volunteers for Clemency Project 2014. CP14, as it’s known for short, is an outgrowth of President Barack Obama’s call this year for sentence commutation petitions from offenders serving long “drug war” sentences. Offenders are eligible if, among…

Oct 7, 2014 9:51 AM CDT