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Pro Bono Projects - Americas
September 11 Relief Efforts
More than 100 members of our legal staff assisted the families of the victims and victims of September 11. Awards totaling more than $35 million were secured from the Federal September 11 Victim Compensation Fund on behalf of the surviving family members of twenty-one individuals who lost their lives at the World Trade Center. Our Property Group helped residential and commercial tenants who were unable to return to their homes and offices, and the Private Client Group assisted with trust and estate matters.
Criminal Appeals
Shearman & Sterling lawyers currently represent four individuals in post-conviction relief phase death penalty cases pending in Florida (two), Alabama, and Ohio. The firm also handles prisoners' civil rights, habeas corpus cases, indigent criminal appeals and representation of those accused of federal crimes through referrals from the CJA panel.
International Tribunals
Since 2000, Shearman & Sterling lawyers have provided legal assistance to the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), dedicating over 20,000 hours to the cause. Attorneys from firm offices around the globe collaborate on large research projects. Additionally the firm has organized and led several trial advocacy seminars in Arusha, Tanzania for the staff of the Office of the Prosecutor. The firm has an externship at the tribunal, sending an attorney to the OTP each month.
Arts
Ongoing corporate advice is given to several chamber music societies. We also support artists and arts organizations with legal assistance on intellectual property, contract and litigation matters. Attorneys regularly staff arts-related legal clinics.
Asylum
Many of our lawyers are representing individuals from around the world who are seeking political asylum in the United States. These individuals come from countries including Guinea, Rwanda, Pakistan, Guatemala and Congo.
Micro-Finance & Development
FINCA, one of the world's leading micro-credit organizations, receives legal advice from our London, Frankfurt, Washington, D.C., Paris, San Francisco and New York offices. FINCA operates village banks that provide loans to low-income families and micro-entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America.
Women's Rights
Shearman & Sterling lawyers defend the rights of women by handling divorces, custody, support, visitation, orders of protection and immigration matters for indigent women and victims of domestic violence.
Human Rights
Shearman & Sterling attorneys have assisted with multiple human rights causes including massive, multi-jurisdictional projects. In the past year, attorneys in our New York, London, Washington, DC, Paris, Frankfurt, Menlo Park and Singapore offices assisted the Open Society Justice Initiative to file a legal brief with the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The brief concerned a landmark case involving the development of legal norms concerning racial discrimination and violence. In early July, the Grand Chamber returned a decision affirming in substantial part its first-ever findings of racial discrimination in breach of Article 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
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