Human Rights First has recognized Williams & Connolly as a recipient of the 2020 Marvin E. Frankel Award.  The award honors the memory of Judge Marvin E. Frankel, a founding father of Human Rights First, who dedicated his time and energy to making a difference in the human rights movement.  The firm was recognized for its “extensive efforts in the name of asylum seekers.”

For almost two decades, Williams & Connolly has committed itself to the representation of refugees and organizations that support them.  In 2019, the firm, along with Human Rights First, successfully challenged a rule issued by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security barring refugees crossing between ports of entry from seeking asylum.  The Williams & Connolly team included Ana Reyes, Thomas Hentoff, Amy Mason Saharia, Ellen Oberwetter, Luke McCloud, and Matthew Heins. And on August 17, 2020, Williams & Connolly secured a victory on behalf of two Honduran refugees in Baltimore Immigration Court. The team representing the asylum seekers was led by associate Mindy Johnson. These are just two of many immigrant rights cases that Williams & Connolly has undertaken on a pro bono basis to help protect persons fleeing persecution abroad.  

Click here to read Human Rights First’s press release.