Hogan Lovells shares results of three-year commitment to advancing racial justice

“For more than a half century, Hogan Lovells has championed racial equity and justice, and we will continue to advocate for underrepresented and marginalized groups,” said U.S. Pro Bono Partner T. Weymouth. Yasmin Waljee, International Pro Bono Partner, added: “We believe it is important that we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by demonstrating our impact in advancing racial justice, including work to ensure State compliance with obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.”

This commitment was undertaken against the backdrop of the firm’s long history of using its power, influence, and legal skills to fight on behalf of the oppressed. In 1970, Hogan Lovells became the first law firm to establish a freestanding pro bono practice, and the firm has made significant contributions to the fight against institutionalized racism over the past 50-plus years.

Anna Kurian Shaw, Global Managing Partner for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, added: “We are pleased to have met and exceeded our pledge—but we also recognize there is more important work to be done, and our firm remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing racial justice.”

The firm delivered on its commitment to advancing racial justice in four key areas, including:

• Anti-violence:

o Representing victims of hate crimes

o Providing critical research and drafting support for organizations dedicated to anti-violence

• Criminal justice:

o Matters involving police violence and excessive force

o Cases involving innocence matters

o Improving prison conditions

o Matters involving post-conviction relief

o Challenging the death penalty

• Voting rights:

o Combating racial gerrymandering

o Defending democratic elections

• Housing and economic justice:

o Advocating for affordable housing

U.S. pro bono projects

Since June 2020, the firm has taken on a number of pivotal pro bono cases, including the landmark voting rights case Moore v. Harper. Neal Katyal, co-head of Hogan Lovells’ Appellate Practice and former Acting U.S. Solicitor General, led the Hogan Lovells team and successfully argued the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, obtaining a seminal ruling that state courts can review election-related rules and voting maps passed by state legislatures. The victory came after a long legal battle originating from a challenge to discriminatory congressional maps in North Carolina, and has been called one of the most important voting rights cases in U.S. history. More about Moore v. Harper can be found here.

In Allen v. Milligan, the firm successfully argued that Alabama’s congressional maps were racially gerrymandered to intentionally dilute the voting power of Black residents, a constitutional violation of the Voting Rights Act. More about this case is here.

The firm also helped secure justice for victims of police violence and excessive force following the death of George Floyd, who died at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May 2020. The firm provided trial-side and appellate support to the prosecution in the case against two former police officers. More about the case can be found here.

In addition, the firm worked with the Institute for American Police Reform to create an interactive map of state laws governing deadly force. More on this project is here.

International pro bono projects

In London, we assisted individuals applying to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, a fund designed to compensate the “Windrush generation” who were encouraged to emigrate to the U.S. from the Caribbean islands in response to U.K. labor shortages, but were subsequently denied residency rights and citizenship.

Lawyers from our Singapore and London offices collaborated with People’s Planet Project, through the International Lawyers Project network, to support an Indigenous community facing threats to their ancestral land, their health, and their livelihoods because of intense logging and prospective mining on their land.

Alongside PeaceTech Lab, we published a comprehensive report about the laws and regulations governing online hate speech across more than 20 jurisdictions. Much of this work was done by volunteers in our Continental Europe offices. The report is here.

Our Indonesia and Vietnam offices provide research to the International Justice Mission on slavery and human trafficking. Our review covered national legal frameworks related to trafficking, forced labor, and exploitation of workers.

In Mexico, we partnered with local nonprofits to organize and provide legal training to Mayan and Mazahuna Indigenous communities, advising them on topics of health and reproductive rights, gender violence, voting rights, and agrarian rights.

The full report on Hogan Lovells’ commitment to advancing racial justice can be found here.