May 1, 2019 (New York) – Proskauer has been named to the National Law Journal’s 2019 Pro Bono Hot list, recognizing the Firm’s efforts in securing immigration status for undocumented immigrants, legal protection for survivors of human trafficking, government benefits for veterans with disabilities and healthy housing for low-income tenants.
Proskauer’s pro bono program, led by pro bono partner Bill Silverman and pro bono counsel Erin Meyer, is featured in a profile by the publication. Several notable matters are highlighted, including the Firm’s class action litigation on behalf of tenants with asthma who live in New York City Housing Authority apartments. This case involved designing and implementing a novel methodology for addressing an environmental health crisis in public housing, illustrating the challenges of reforming a large institution through litigation. It also demonstrates the importance of forming coalitions of advocates and experts to press upon various levels of power—the courts, the government, the media and the public—to fight for racial and environmental justice and create systemic change.
The publication also highlights another pro bono matter, in which a Massachusetts federal District Court granted summary judgment in favor of our clients, finding the Massachusetts Wiretap Statute unconstitutional when applied to secret recordings of government officials performing their duties in public. The decision is significant for its clarification of protections under the First Amendment.
Proskauer was also noted for the landmark ruling for our client, a nonprofit providing residential and vocational opportunities to autistic individuals, in which the New Jersey Appellate Division ruled that New Jersey Law Against Discrimination protects the nonprofit in a land dispute. The unanimous ruling held that while the owners of the property might not fall into a protected class, they represent people who do.
“Pro bono work enables us to make a difference while gaining valuable legal and life experience,” said Bill Silverman.
For more information on the Firm’s pro bono work, please visit our Proskauer For Good blog.
