Arnold & Porter Wins Innovative Lawyers in Pro Bono Award at 2024 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards
Arnold & Porter won the “Innovative Lawyers in Pro Bono” award at the 2024 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards for its success in obtaining compensation from the United States government for migrant families separated by the government at the southern border in 2018 as part of the government’s family separation policy. The distinguished awards ceremony celebrates the “innovative ways lawyers are delivering value for clients and driving positive change in the profession.”
In collaboration with immigration and civil rights organizations, over 230 Arnold & Porter lawyers and staff contributed more than 27,000 hours litigating a first-of-its-kind lawsuit – C.M. et al. v. United States – serving as coordinating counsel in global settlement efforts, and representing clients in immigration proceedings. The firm defeated the government’s motion to dismiss, setting important precedent for subsequent federal lawsuits. Through extensive discovery, including thousands of pages of documents and numerous depositions, the Arnold & Porter team built a detailed factual record showing that the government intentionally separated families, severely traumatizing both children and parents, in an effort to deter border crossings. The firm successfully defeated the government’s summary judgment motion, paving the way for settlements in the C.M. case and in other federal lawsuits. As a result of the firm’s efforts, the government was compelled to compensate families and address the consequences of its policy.
The Arnold & Porter team included Diana Reiter, Lucy McMillan, Erik Walsh, Stanton Jones, Sean Morris, Kaitlyn Schaeffer, Julia Kindlon, Emily Reeder-Ricchetti, and Harry Fidler, among several others.
Arnold & Porter has previously been acknowledged for its work on this case. The firm was most recently named to Bloomberg Law’s 2024 “Pro Bono Innovators” list, which honors a selection of law firms and other legal service providers that “go above and beyond in delivering pro bono legal services,” and was specifically recognized for its successful advocacy on behalf of separated families. The firm’s wider pro bono efforts have also garnered widespread recognition in the legal community. In October 2024, Arnold & Porter was highlighted as one of the top 5 firms for pro bono in Law360's 2024 “Social Impact Leaders” report, which recognizes firms who are “setting the bar for social impact” based on five pillars: racial and ethnic diversity, gender equality, employee engagement, pro bono service, and responsible business. Earlier this year, the firm’s pro bono work was highlighted in The American Lawyer's 2024 “Pro Bono Scorecard,” in which the firm was named a top 10 firm for its national and international pro bono work. In addition, Arnold & Porter was previously recognized with the “Innovation in the Rule of Law and Access to Justice” award at the 2018 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards and the “Rule of Law and Access to Justice” award at the 2019 awards ceremony, both for its outstanding pro bono efforts.
