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Recognition and Awards

District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission Recognizes MLA for Participation in “Raising the Bar in D.C. Campaign”
The District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission recognized the firm for its participation in the inaugural Raising the Bar in D.C. Campaign. MLA was among 23 law firms that donated a benchmark percentage of its D.C. office revenue for a combined total contribution of $3 million to local legal service providers in 2011. The campaign's goal is to substantially increase financial support for the legal services network by establishing revenue-based benchmarks for law firm donations.

Colorado Supreme Court Honors MLA Denver for Pro Bono Work
The Colorado Supreme Court recognized MLA’s Denver office as one of the Colorado firms to achieve an average of 50 hours of pro bono work per lawyer in 2009. On behalf of MLA, Associate Charles Swanson accepted the award from Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, Justice Gregory Hobbs, Justice Nancy Rice and Justice Allison Eid.

American Cancer Society Honors DC Partner with Judicial Award
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) presented Washington, DC Partner Will O'Brien with its Judicial Advocacy Award for Excellence.  Will received the award for pro bono legal services provided to the ACS CAN's Judicial Advocacy Initiative, which educates courts in cases that could impact cancer patients by filing amicus briefs. 

Washington Archdiocese Recognizes MLA for Sustained Service to the Legal Network
The Washington Archdiocesan Legal Network (Network) honored the firm with the James Cardinal Hickey Award in the "Law Firm" category for sustained and significant service over the past 13 years.  The Network serves the legal needs low-income families and residents (regardless of religion) in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, and is currently supported by approximately 55 law firms and 450 individual lawyer volunteers.  MLA has been involved with the Network since the mid-nineties through the efforts of Washington, DC Senior Counsel Ray Pushkar.

Pro Bono Partnership Atlanta Honors MLA with Volunteer of the Year Award
Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (Atlanta) recognized MLA with its 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award.  The MLA Atlanta team - Partner Kate Lewis, Partner Summer Chandler, Associate Doug Flaum, Associate David Gordon, Associate Matt James and Partner Russell Love - received the award for dedicating more than 300 pro bono hours to a series of real estate transactions for H.O.P.E., a nonprofit organization that provides supportive housing programs to Atlanta's homeless people and special-needs families.

MLA receives Outstanding Achievement Award
MLA received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civic Rights and Urban Affairs. The award  recognized Washington, DC Partner Dan Johnson and Associates Tim Halloran and Luke Meier for their outstanding contributions in the areas of Immigrant and  Refugee Rights based on the firm’s representation of five immigrant workers in a dispute over unpaid minimum and overtime wages.

MLA Associate receives Inaugural Pro Bono Service Award
Atlanta Associate John Allen (right) received the first Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award at the annual “Celebrating Service” luncheon and pro bono fair sponsored by the Atlanta Bar Association, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society.

San Diego Partner Receives Volunteer Award
In 2009, San Diego Office Managing Partner Chris Humphreys was honored by the State Bar of California Board of Governors and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program with the Wiley M. Manuel award for volunteering more than 50 hours of pro bono service to help indigent San Diegans.

Litigation Team Receives Special Pro Bono Award
In fall 2008, The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless recognized MLA's Litigation team with a special pro bono award for its work challenging a landlord’s conversion of an apartment building into condominiums. MLA negotiated a highly favorable settlement for the Parkway Tenants Association that prevented the eviction of numerous families, secured them special tenancies, and required the repair of Housing Code violations.

Of Note

In December 2010, the firm announced the following winners of its Eighth Annual Pro Bono and Community Service Awards for extraordinary legal service contributions to MLA communities:

• Washington, DC Associate Tim Halloran was recognized for his efforts on two pro bono matters in 2010, one of which earned a prestigious award for the firm.  In the first case, Tim led MLA's representation of five clients, who speak very little English, against their employer in a federal court action seeking payment of wages/overtime.  He successfully negotiated a favorable monetary settlement. Tim also represented two foster parents in a contested adoption case in which they sought to adopt a three-year-old boy who had been placed in the District of Columbia's neglect system.  Tim first-chaired the trial, handled all aspects of the case from start to finish and won the case for his clients.

• Los Angeles Associate Mary McKelvey made a significant contribution to pro bono in 2010 when she took on several cases at once.  In one case, she represented a single foster mother of a severely disturbed and disabled teenage boy. Mary was able to secure an increase in benefits to which the foster mother was entitled but denied for years and secure the retroactive application of these benefits. In another situation, Mary handled an immigration case for a client who was facing deportation after 25 years in the U.S. because he entered the country illegally. Mary found a grandfathering provision in the immigration law that would permit the client to petition for citizenship based on the fact that his daughter, a U.S. citizen, recently turned 21 years old.  She also led a team of MLA attorneys on a death penalty case, handling all the issues associated with the firm’s appointment as counsel for the individual.