Overview
(July 18, 2023, Washington, DC) – Steptoe's pro bono committee hosted its annual Pro Bono Reception celebrating the firm's pro bono clients, leaders, and successes. The event honors John Nolan Award for Pro Bono Excellence recipients and Steptoe attorneys who completed over 100 hours of pro bono service in 2022.
At the event, attendees heard from a number of speakers highlighting our commitment to pro bono. Our client keynote speaker, Mr. Briscoe, shared his story of being freed from prison after over 40 years when he received assistance from a Steptoe team. Attendees also heard from Mark Lenzi, who was able to resume his overseas career in the Foreign Service after Steptoe attorneys helped him reach a favorable settlement with the State Department. Sonia Kumar, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Maryland, a Steptoe pro bono partner, was joined by Steptoe client, Anthony Muhammad, and spoke about her work with the Maryland Parole Partnership.
John Nolan was a former Steptoe partner and firm leader. The award pays homage to his over 50 years of practice at Steptoe, where he remained active on pro bono matters into his 80's. Nolan was a decorated marine in the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart. He was also a founding member of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Our John Nolan Award for Pro Bono Excellence recipients are Roger Warin, Tom Barba, Chris Suarez, Kate Fisch, Shannon Reid, Steve Kaplan, Liz Goodwin, Riley John, Magda Wielkopolska, Jill Taylor-Pope, Elena Chun, and Matt Little.
Roger has history of pro bono representation now spanning over six decades. He led several civil rights lawsuits alleging discriminatory hiring and promotion practices within the federal government, including Hartman v. Pompeo, one of the largest class action Title VII settlements in history. Roger is a board member, pro bono attorney and leading Steptoe supporter of Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, including several fee award representations over the years. Roger was a founding member of the DC Access to Justice Commission in 2005, which advocates for public interest and pro bono legal services in the District.
Tom Barba and Christopher Suarez, along with Kate Fisch, Shannon Reid, Steven Kaplan, Elizabeth Goodwin, Riley John, Magda Wielkopolska, Jill Taylor Pope, Elena Chun, and Matthew Little represented Mark Lenzi in his lawsuit against the State Department after he had been afflicted with Havana Syndrome. Mr. Lenzi alleged that the State Department retaliated and discriminated against him by denying him the overseas positions for which he applied after he began advocating for himself and other US Government employees who had also been afflicted. Mr. Lenzi and his Steptoe lawyers reached a favorable settlement with the State Department, which will permit him to resume his overseas career in the Foreign Service.
Learn more about Steptoe's pro bono service.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
