Akin Gump Honored by Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Pro Bono Parole Representation Project
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(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump is proud to announce that, at its 2017 Wiley A. Branton Award Luncheon, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) recognized the firm’s pro bono work with an Outstanding Achievement Award.
Specifically, WLC recognized the work done by more than a dozen Akin Gump lawyers and paralegals in partnership with WLC to represent at parole hearings eight D.C. residents incarcerated at federal facilities nationwide. As WLC noted, “Akin Gump representatives traveled to remote facilities in West Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana and New Jersey, providing essential legal services. Their involvement increased the likelihood of a fair hearing and a positive outcome for the men they represented.”
Akin Gump litigation associate Abigail Kohlman led the firm’s involvement in this initiative. The firm’s efforts included studying the parole guidelines, which vary depending on date of the offense; gathering decades-old records; and reaching out to family members across the country.
Regarding this work, Ms. Kohlman stated, “These inmates are usually left to represent themselves without the help of pro bono attorneys. It is truly rewarding work to reunite families with inmates who have spent decades in prison.”
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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