A prisoner seriously beaten and injured by his guards. An Afghani fighter pilot who battled the Taliban. A man with mental health issues kept in solitary confinement by prison officials for years.
Those are some of the people represented by Venable attorneys in pro bono cases in 2023 and recognized in October at the 2024 Civiletti Awards. Named for former Venable partner and U.S. Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti, the awards honor the work of the firm's attorneys who took part in the pro bono program last year. Pro Bono chair Warren Hamel called Civiletti one of the best lawyers of his generation, who "truly embodied the spirit of a private attorney serving the public good."
Ellia Thompson, a partner in the firm's Los Angeles Land Use and Zoning practice, received the night's first award. She led several life-or-death asylum cases in which Afghanis who helped the United States fight the Taliban sought and ultimately obtained asylum in the United States.
One of those cases, centered on a fighter pilot credited with killing a substantial number of Taliban fighters was particularly challenging. The U.S. asks asylum applicants whether they've ever fired a weapon or killed anyone. An honest "yes" would have brought more scrutiny to Ellia's client. A "no" would have been a lie, and illegal. Another asylum matter involved a family in Kabul who fled to the U.S. with no papers or documents to prove that they were indeed a family.
In accepting the award, Thompson quoted her grandmother: "The more attributes and the more of God's gifts you have, the greater rent you should pay for your room on this earth." She noted that she comes from a long line of veterans who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good. "I'm blessed with having an amazing family and friends," she said, "so I've always felt that my rent was pretty high."
Emily Wilson, another award recipient, is a commercial litigation associate who logged 127 pro bono hours in 2023, brought several matters to the Baltimore office from the Maryland Volunteer Legal Services (MVLS), where she is a board member. Quoting her nomination, Hamel said Wilson "has a passion for pro bono and isn't afraid to persuade her colleagues that pro bono is important." In her acceptance speech, she encouraged Baltimore attorneys to get involved with the MVLS and thanked her colleagues with whom she served on pro bono teams.
Paralegal Bill Hinger became the first non-lawyer to receive a Civiletti Award as part of a new process allowing nominations of any firm employee—not just lawyers—which resulted in more than 40 nominees across attorneys and non-attorney professionals for the first time this year.
Hinger contributed to multiple prisoner rights cases, including one involving a man who was left with broken facial bones at the hands of prison guards. In accepting his award, Hinger stressed the impact that the firm's pro bono program has had on him and referenced his first billed hour of pro bono time, which involved freeing a man who served 15 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.
"I never really knew what it felt like to change someone's life and be a part of a team for somebody that had no hope," he said. "These pro bono cases are the most meaningful and important ones I've ever worked on. I encourage you to say 'yes' to pro bono work and get involved. You can make a difference in somebody's life."
Hamel praised Hinger's pro bono work, noting especially his ability to bring "young, new professionals into his projects, sparking interest in those who are new to the firm."
The evening's final award went to a team of attorneys who managed several cases on behalf of Tracy Skinner, a prisoner with serious mental health issues who, rather than receiving treatment, spent years in solitary confinement.
"I'm particularly grateful to have had the opportunity to provide this service," said partner Bob Ames, who led the team. "It struck me, given my age and the length of the career that I have left in front of me, that I may well be the last recipient of the Civiletti Award who actually had the benefit of practicing law with Benjamin Civiletti. So, it's a great honor to be mentioned in the same breath as Ben."
Ames shared the award with partner Chris Gunderson and associates Hayley Degnan, Jacob Polce, and Imani Menard. Former associate Paige Kim, who is currently at a clerkship, also served on the team.
Hamel said 53% of the firm's attorneys participated in the pro bono program in 2023, donating 26,196 hours of service. He said he hoped to one day see 100% participation. Each Civiletti Award winner chooses an organization to receive $1,000 from the Venable Foundation.
"We have 900 lawyers," said Hamel, "and to set them loose on the world to do some good could really be a terrific, terrific thing."
