Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP hosted a powerful presentation for associates and partners globally on June 30, featuring guest speaker activist and poet Ian Manuel. Mr. Manuel shared his personal story of unjust imprisonment and how pro bono legal counsel, which saved his life, is vital to protecting other children across the US given unfairly extreme prison sentences.
Mr. Manuel, a recent MacDowell Fellow, was one of the youngest children condemned to die in prison in the US. Sentenced to life without parole at the age of 13, Mr. Manuel was held in solitary confinement for nearly 20 years. With legal assistance from the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), which argued that sentencing a child to die in prison was cruel and unusual punishment, he was eventually released from prison in 2016. Since his release, he has shared his story of survival to inspire, advocated for criminal justice reform and encouraged attorneys to pursue pro bono cases to help others unjustly sentenced as children.
Milbank Chairman Scott A. Edelman kicked off the event by sharing the profound impact of meeting EJI executive director Bryan Stevenson, who played a leading role in taking on Mr. Manuel’s case. Mr. Edelman also reaffirmed Milbank’s commitment to public service and spoke about new pro bono opportunities for associates and partners involving juvenile justice reform and immigration rights.
“For decades, Milbank has proudly supported some of the most important civil rights organizations in the country, particularly those focused on protecting the rights of children,” said Mr. Edelman. “Public service and pro bono work are deeply ingrained in Milbank’s DNA and I am excited to continue the legacy that not only helps society’s most vulnerable but also helps our attorneys become better lawyers and people.”
Milbank is one of the few firms to require all of its attorneys, regardless of practice, to dedicate at least 25 hours to pro bono counsel annually. Last year, Milbank’s domestic lawyers averaged 86 hours of pro bono work, totaling over 44,000 hours. The firm has been recognized for its longtime pro bono legal advocacy work and support of The Door, Kids in Need of Defense, The Legal Aid Society, Legal Services Corp., American Bar Association’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, New York Office of the Appellate Defender and NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund, among other organizations.
Learn more about Milbank’s commitment to public service and pro bono partnerships.
