The American Bar Association Death Penalty Representation Project will honor the work of pro bono attorneys at its annual Volunteer Recognition & Awards Sept. 18, from 5-8 p.m. at Crowell & Moring LLP, Washington, D.C. The event also will be livestreamed.
The event will honor law firms Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Vorys with the Exceptional Service Award and capital defender Ruth Elissa Friedman with the John Paul Stevens Guiding Hand of Counsel Award. Christina Swarns, the executive director of the Innocence Project, will be featured as the keynote speaker.
“Death penalty cases can be especially challenging for the lawyers who work on them,” ABA President Michelle A. Behnke said “The ABA proudly stands with the pro bono volunteers who have joined us in this highly specialized area of law. Lawyers who provide pro bono death penalty representation demonstrate exceptional courage in the face of harrowing and fierce opposition.”
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, a Birmingham, Alabama-based firm with 13 offices nationally, has made a unique commitment to ensuring that death-sentenced prisoners have access to high-quality legal representation. Since 1988, the firm has served multiple roles in the post-conviction process by both acting as lead counsel for death row prisoners and serving as local counsel for out-of-state volunteer law firms and nonprofits. Bradley was previously awarded the Exceptional Service Award in 2012 for their commitment to pro bono death penalty representation, and since then has continued its dedicated service on behalf of indigent death-sentenced prisoners.
In total, Bradley has represented 39 individuals across five states, 10 of whom were new clients since 2012. Bradley’s service as actively engaged local counsel providing on-the-ground assistance is particularly notable, enabling about three dozen prisoners to receive excellent representation.
In 2024, 31 Bradley attorneys dedicated more than 1,000 pro bono hours to prisoners on death row. This work and commitment are essential, especially in Alabama, where clients face unique challenges. With the highest per capita death-sentencing rate in the country, Alabama until recently allowed judges to override jury recommendations of life.
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP was founded by four attorneys in 1909 in Columbus, Ohio, and has grown into a nationally recognized law firm with 10 offices across the United States and in Europe. For decades, Vorys has partnered with federal public defenders to advocate for individuals facing the death penalty, particularly those with strong claims of innocence. Recently, Vorys was instrumental in two Ohio capital cases, securing new trials and the release of both clients through intensive post-conviction litigation grounded in newly discovered forensic and Brady evidence.
Within the past five years, Vorys has played a central role in securing new trials for David Lee Myers and Elwood Jones, two indigent Ohio death row prisoners who maintained their innocence from the time of their arrests. Vorys attorneys have invested years of effort, thousands of hours and immeasurable care into representing their clients, ensuring that their rights are protected and their voices are heard.
Friedman has dedicated more than four decades to the zealous representation of individuals facing the death penalty. Her advocacy in Congress, courts and classrooms has truly elevated the standard of capital defense throughout the country and has helped save countless lives. In 2024, Friedman spearheaded clemency efforts to commute the death sentences of individuals on federal death row. Her efforts led to the Biden administration commuting the sentences of 37 individuals, one of the largest and most significant clemency commutations in modern history.
Swarns is a champion of fairness and integrity in the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on elevating the level of representation for individuals facing the death penalty. With nearly three decades of experience, her dedicated work raises the standard of capital representation for individuals nationwide. Before joining the Innocence Project in 2020, Swarms worked with the Legal Aid Society, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as the director of their Criminal Justice Project and as the president and attorney-in-charge at Office of the Appellate Defender in New York City.
The event will honor law firms Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Vorys with the Exceptional Service Award and capital defender Ruth Elissa Friedman with the John Paul Stevens Guiding Hand of Counsel Award. Christina Swarns, the executive director of the Innocence Project, will be featured as the keynote speaker.
“Death penalty cases can be especially challenging for the lawyers who work on them,” ABA President Michelle A. Behnke said “The ABA proudly stands with the pro bono volunteers who have joined us in this highly specialized area of law. Lawyers who provide pro bono death penalty representation demonstrate exceptional courage in the face of harrowing and fierce opposition.”
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, a Birmingham, Alabama-based firm with 13 offices nationally, has made a unique commitment to ensuring that death-sentenced prisoners have access to high-quality legal representation. Since 1988, the firm has served multiple roles in the post-conviction process by both acting as lead counsel for death row prisoners and serving as local counsel for out-of-state volunteer law firms and nonprofits. Bradley was previously awarded the Exceptional Service Award in 2012 for their commitment to pro bono death penalty representation, and since then has continued its dedicated service on behalf of indigent death-sentenced prisoners.
In total, Bradley has represented 39 individuals across five states, 10 of whom were new clients since 2012. Bradley’s service as actively engaged local counsel providing on-the-ground assistance is particularly notable, enabling about three dozen prisoners to receive excellent representation.
In 2024, 31 Bradley attorneys dedicated more than 1,000 pro bono hours to prisoners on death row. This work and commitment are essential, especially in Alabama, where clients face unique challenges. With the highest per capita death-sentencing rate in the country, Alabama until recently allowed judges to override jury recommendations of life.
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP was founded by four attorneys in 1909 in Columbus, Ohio, and has grown into a nationally recognized law firm with 10 offices across the United States and in Europe. For decades, Vorys has partnered with federal public defenders to advocate for individuals facing the death penalty, particularly those with strong claims of innocence. Recently, Vorys was instrumental in two Ohio capital cases, securing new trials and the release of both clients through intensive post-conviction litigation grounded in newly discovered forensic and Brady evidence.
Within the past five years, Vorys has played a central role in securing new trials for David Lee Myers and Elwood Jones, two indigent Ohio death row prisoners who maintained their innocence from the time of their arrests. Vorys attorneys have invested years of effort, thousands of hours and immeasurable care into representing their clients, ensuring that their rights are protected and their voices are heard.
Friedman has dedicated more than four decades to the zealous representation of individuals facing the death penalty. Her advocacy in Congress, courts and classrooms has truly elevated the standard of capital defense throughout the country and has helped save countless lives. In 2024, Friedman spearheaded clemency efforts to commute the death sentences of individuals on federal death row. Her efforts led to the Biden administration commuting the sentences of 37 individuals, one of the largest and most significant clemency commutations in modern history.
Swarns is a champion of fairness and integrity in the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on elevating the level of representation for individuals facing the death penalty. With nearly three decades of experience, her dedicated work raises the standard of capital representation for individuals nationwide. Before joining the Innocence Project in 2020, Swarms worked with the Legal Aid Society, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as the director of their Criminal Justice Project and as the president and attorney-in-charge at Office of the Appellate Defender in New York City.
