A pro bono team from McDermott Will & Emery took on the United States Army and won.

The cause was nothing less than the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. The clients were Sikh Americans whose goal is to serve their country as soldiers while remaining true to their faith — which mandates that they keep their beards and wear their hair long and tucked into a high bun wrapped inside a turban.

After eight years of fighting battles through education, advocacy and legislative lobbying, McDermott filed two lawsuits against the Army for Sikh American soldiers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2016. The result: The Army changed its policy, allowing observant Sikhs to serve.