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Events

2024 Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event

September 12, 2024 | Washington, DC

The 2024 Volunteer Recognition & Awards Dinner was held on September 12, 2024, in Washington, DC.

2024 Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event | September 12, 2024 | Washington, DC

2024 Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event | September 12, 2024 | Washington, DC

ABA Death Penalty Representation Project

Award Recipients

Every fall, the Project celebrates volunteer lawyers at its Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event. During the event, the Project presents awards to pro bono law firms and individual attorneys that have shown exceptional commitment to excellence in capital defense. 

Exceptional Service Award

Pro bono firms are nominated by their colleagues for exceptional service to death row prisoners and honored with the Exceptional Service Award. 

This year we are proud to recognize two exceptional pro bono law firms with this award:

Arnold & Porter

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Both have shown longstanding commitment to representing death-sentenced prisoners, often in the face of overwhelming odds, and have made a lasting impact on the lives of their pro bono clients and on public awareness of issues in the death penalty system.

Read more about our award recipients in the event program book!

John Paul Stevens Guiding Hand of Counsel Award

The Project recognizes the extraordinary efforts of individual lawyers with the John Paul Stevens Guiding Hand of Counsel Award, which was first presented to Justice Stevens in 2011. The Project recognizes pro bono attorneys and full-time capital defenders and public interest lawyers in alternating years.

We are proud to present this year’s award to pro bono attorney Cliff Sloan.

Professor Sloan is a retired partner and dedicated pro bono death penalty lawyer from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. He continues to represent death-sentenced prisoners while teaching the next generation of pro bono lawyers and capital defenders at Georgetown Law. He joins an esteemed group of attorneys who have received this award in recognition of their unparalleled commitment to their death-sentenced clients and their impact on death penalty law.

Read more about our award recipients in the event program book!

Read about previous award winners and their extraordinary accomplishments!

Keynote Speaker

The Project was delighted to welcome the Honorable Elsa Alcala, retired judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, as our keynote speaker! From 2011 to 2018, Judge Alcala served on the Texas CCA, which is the highest court in Texas to hear appeals in death penalty cases. She has also worked as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and forceful advocate for judicial reform.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship of this event helps us honor the incredible contributions of pro bono lawyers and provides essential funding for the Project and enables the Project to carry out its mission year-round.

Visit our sponsorship page to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and benefits. For more information, please contact Project Director Emily Olson-Gault at [email protected].

Thank you to our 2024 Event Sponsors!

Defender

Arnold & Porter

Crowell & Moring

Greenberg Traurig

Skadden

Champion

Kirkland & Ellis

Partner

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

King & Spalding

Orrick

Sidley

Steptoe

Wiley

Friend

Bradley

Morgan Lewis

O'Melveny

White & Case

Supporter

ABA Center for Public Interest Law

Southern Poverty Law Center