2022-2023 Pro Bono Program Review

O’Melveny Defends Black Alabama Voters’ Rights in Supreme Court Amicus Brief

The Outcome

At Stake

Collaborators

The civil rights of Black voters in Alabama

The US Supreme Court ordered Alabama’s Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional districts

The American Bar Association

O’Melveny represented The American Bar Association in an amicus brief asking the US Supreme Court to protect the rights of Black voters in Alabama. The amicus brief urged the Court to affirm a federal district court’s ruling that Alabama’s 2021 congressional redistricting plan violated the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. The voting map redrawn by Republican lawmakers left just one majority Black congressional district in Alabama, which has a 27% Black population.

of US O’Melveny attorneys did pro bono work in 2023 91%

The Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 that the Alabama Legislature’s redistricting ran afoul of the Voting Rights Act by concentrating a large number of Black voters in a single congressional district and reducing their influence in other six districts. The Court ordered the Legislature to redraw the map.

O’Melveny Secures Asylum for Russian Man Persecuted for His Sexual Orientation

At Stake

Collaborators

The Outcome

The physical safety and mental wellbeing of a gay Russian man

Legal Services NYC

Lifesaving asylum status granted

Roma was raised in Russia in a Christian Armenian household where homosexuality was considered an unforgivable sin. After a university classmate outed Roma as gay, his brother beat him so savagely that he had to be airlifted to Armenia for emergency surgery. Roma knew his life would continue to be threatened if he remained in Russia, and he would be unable to pursue his music career, which got a boost after he was named a finalist on “The Voice.” O’Melveny spent three years representing Roma in his petition for asylum in the United States. He was granted asylee status by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 2022. He is thriving as a musician who performs with a jazz trio and is grateful to O’Melveny for its unwavering support. Transgender Name Changes O’Melveny lawyers represent transgender individuals in legal name-change cases, guiding clients through this emotional and meaningful process. Transgender individuals whose identification does not match their gender identity can suffer discrimination and physical violence. Obtaining a legal name change helps ensure that transgender clients are treated with respect by employers, government agencies, and employers.

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PRO BONO PROGRAM REVIEW 2022-2023