Overview
(July 28, 2022 – 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 2021. At the event, Steptoe personnel heard from a client guest speaker who shared his story of how he escaped persecution in Afghanistan with the assistance of a Steptoe team.
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 Susan Esserman, Michael Baratz, Harry Lee, Steve Ross, Emma Marshak, Luke Tillman, and Riley John.
Susan Esserman leads Steptoe's efforts to represent human trafficking survivors, has directly represented and supervised teams assisting over two dozen survivors of human trafficking, and has conducted research to help advance important anti-trafficking legislation. She is founder and director of the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors. It is the first ever university-based program to combine comprehensive services for sex and labor trafficking survivors with research and advocacy to combat trafficking.
Michael Baratz, Harry Lee, Steve Ross, Emma Marshak, Luke Tillman, and Riley John are being recognized for their work on the case of Marvin Gutierrez v. Keith Lewis, et al. Mr. Gutierrez, a limited-English speaker, attempted to be a Good Samaritan and chased after a drunk driver who had totaled several cars in his neighborhood. Police officers commanded Mr. Gutierrez to stop, which he did. He told the officers that he did not speak English, and although he had his hands up and clearly posed no threat to the officers or others, the officers beat him even after he was detained. Steptoe attorneys represented Mr. Gutierrez in his Constitutional action and successfully achieved a settlement to compensate him for his injuries and to implement language access improvements within the local police department.
The following Steptoe attorneys and staff completed over 100 hours of pro bono service in 2021: Patricia Adams, Daniel Aldrich, Lisa Arnold, Michael Baratz, Brigida Benitez, Bruce Bishop, Christopher Bjornson, Tahir Boykins, Meegan Brooks, Ali Burney, Blanca Caceres, Rachel Cannon, William Carson, Andrew Coyne, Robyn Crowther, Madeleine Danes, Shawn Davisson, Michael Dockterman, Katie Dubyak, Kelly Eberspecher, Susan Esserman, Sara Faber, Stephen Fennell, Kate Fisch, William Fletcher, Veronica Ganzitti, Elizabeth Ginsburg, George Grandison, Kimberly Gulino, Drew Harris, Benjamin Holt, Craig Hoovler, Dane Jaques, Harmony Jones, Riley John, Damon Kalt, Lindsey Lang, Paul Lee, Alicia Loh, Alice Loughran, Lucinda Low, Kerri Lyman, Emma Marshak, Samantha McCarthy, Adie Olson, Chris Paparella, Ryan Pereira, Jill Taylor Pope, Elinor Ramey, Rebecca Robinson, James Rocap III, Mark Savignac, Michael Scavelli, Amanda Schwartz, Zachary Simmons, Lisa Southerland, Christopher Suarez, Eshika Talukder, Cynthia Taub, Ron Vogel, Stephanie Wang, Jonah Weinbaum, Travis West, Thomas Yebernetsky, and Bo Yue.
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.
The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm's Chair is a woman; the majority of Steptoe's nine offices are managed by women; the majority of Steptoe's practice groups have women as leaders; and the firm's twelve-person elected compensation committee is headed by a woman and includes five women as members. The firm's eight-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with half the c-suite made up of women, including three women of color, and other leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.
