Akin Gump Joins Law Firm Coalition to Counter Political Extremism
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(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump, in conjunction with Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP), has joined a coalition of leading law firms to counter political extremism. As part of its commitment to working pro bono with localities facing challenges of political violence, Akin Gump will work directly with those communities facing threats of political violence at protests and rallies.
“Akin Gump is excited to be among the founding members of this collective effort to offer pro bono counsel to communities around the country that increasingly face threats of political violence,” said Akin Gump pro bono partner Steven Schulman. “As lawyers, we know that at its best our legal system protects everyone who seeks to exercise their First Amendment rights safely and peacefully. We look forward to working with ICAP and the other firms around the country to help prevent intimidation and violent extremism at protests and rallies.”
ICAP has rolled out a series of critical resources to help local governments and community members across the country protect public safety while fostering First Amendment-protected activity. It has also launched a toolkit, “Protests and Public Safety: A Guide for Cities and Citizens,” containing legal principles, best practices and creative solutions for local jurisdictions, concerned residents, and activists.
Schulman participated this week in a virtual symposium hosted by ICAP, titled “A Conversation on Political Violence, Extremism and American Democracy.” He noted that it is not “a left-wing or right-wing thing to be armed…. It is not something that you would terminally say, ‘well, that’s a conservative value or a liberal value.’ It is something that is unfortunately a recognition or a symbol of a breakdown of civil society. And that’s what we’re trying to make sure that we don’t have happen here.”
To watch the symposium in its entirety, please click here.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1945, the firm is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020. #AkinGump75
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