Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Using our skills on behalf of people for whom such help is otherwise unavailable makes the world a fairer, more just place.
May 04, 2020 at 02:06 PM
3 minute read
Felicia Ellsworth of Wilmer.
Describe your firm's philosophy on pro bono service.
Wilmer encourages all lawyers, including new associates and summer associates, to participate in a wide variety of pro bono activities. We endorse the principle that every lawyer has a professional responsibility to use a portion of his or her time for pro bono legal service and recognize that pro bono work often exposes lawyers to types of legal and professional work that is not otherwise readily available.
What are the two biggest cases your firm worked on in 2019? Tell us more about those cases and how you reached the outcome.
In a groundbreaking sex trafficking case following four years of indomitable work, Wilmer secured a favorable settlement for trafficking survivor Lisa Ricchio in her claims against a motel and its operators under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Ricchio was lured from Maine to Massachusetts by a man who drugged, brutally beat and repeatedly raped her, trying to force her into prostitution, as he had done with others before. The [U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit] reversed a district court's initial dismissal of the case, endorsing our interpretation of the TVPA and establishing precedent for cases like these to proceed. At trial, we relayed the ordeal Ricchio suffered and she bravely took the stand. This case was the first of its kind to be filed against a hotel or motel under the TVPA's civil-remedy provision; today, there is clarification on what makes hotels/motels liable for sex trafficking on their premises under the TVPA.
What was the most satisfying aspect of that work?
Winning a favorable settlement for Ricchio and establishing First Circuit precedent were extremely satisfying. The most gratifying aspect of this work, however, was playing a small part in our client's healing process. For years, she has felt the effects of [post-traumatic stress disorder] and chronic pain from her assault. With the legal case now behind her, she's now feeling a sense of empowerment and relief, and grateful in the knowledge that her bravery will help other survivors.
What other pro bono matters is the firm working on?
• Assisting immigrant detainees and criminal inmates seeking compassionate release in light of COVID-19.
• Representing the city of Baltimore in defending immigrant families against the State Department's public charge changes.
• Representing Wesley Purkey in proceedings regarding the permissibility of the federal government's lethal injection protocol, and in an appeal from the district court's denial of his habeas petition.
• Assisting the Innocence Project in review of Muhammad Abdul Aziz's conviction for killing Malcolm X.
• Assisting a class of unhoused persons in claims for lost property and emotional distress against California's Department of Transportation, pursuant to a settlement reached after much litigation.
Why does pro bono work matter to you as a lawyer?
Commitment to pro bono representation is a hallmark of Wilmer. It advances our profession and influences laws shaping the nation. Using our skills on behalf of people for whom such help is otherwise unavailable makes the world a fairer, more just place. Ms. Ricchio's case is a great example.
Responses submitted by Felicia Ellsworth, partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.
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