Our deeds and shared values define our culture. As a firm, we are equally passionate about delivering legal excellence and making a difference in the world. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.<h2>About Morrison Foerster</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Jennifer K. Brown is Senior Pro Bono Counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP, with responsibility for the overall direction of the firm’s pro bono program. Ms. Brown also develops pro bono opportunities and promotes lawyers’ participation in the firm’s offices on the east coast of the U.S. as well as in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Ms. Brown was vice president and legal director of Legal Momentum, the nation's first women’s rights legal organization, originally known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund. There, she directed cutting-edge litigation and policy advocacy focused on employment discrimination, domestic violence victims' rights, and sexuality and family rights. Previously, she served as the reproductive rights director with the Civil Rights Bureau of the Office of the New York Attorney General and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.Ms. Brown brings to the firm her deep knowledge of public interest legal organizations and the most pressing civil rights issues of the day. She has, as well, a rich array of litigation experience, having represented individuals as well as federal agencies and the public, from both the plaintiff and defense positions, in trial and appellate courts. As Senior Pro Bono Counsel, she applies this knowledge and experience to multiple goals: encouraging the firm's attorneys from all practice areas to bring pro bono projects to the firm; easing the way for attorneys to undertake meaningful pro bono service; and working with legal service and public interest organizations to identify creative ways to tap the passion and intellect of the firm's lawyers to pursue the public good. Recent achievements include collaborating with a legal services organization to represent individuals whose claims for unemployment insurance benefits are challenged, and forming a project to represent disabled individuals who are seeking federal disability benefits.Ms. Brown received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1993, where she was essays editor of the Yale Law Journal (1992-1993) and was awarded the Benjamin Scharps and Israel H. Peres prizes for outstanding writing. Ms. Brown’s publications include, "The Nineteenth Amendment and Women's Equality," 102 Yale Law Journal 2175 (1993) (student note), and "Life and Death with Joan," in AIDS: The Women, Cleis Press, 1988.

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Senior Pro Bono Counsel

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As senior pro bono counsel, Jennifer manages and promotes the pro bono participation of lawyers on the East Coast.

Jennifer K. Brown

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.Natalie provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of diverse talent at the firm, as well as providing client development support in the area of diversity and inclusion. She works closely with the firm’s Diversity Strategy Committee co-chairs Alexis Amezcua, Purvi Patel, and Mark Whitaker, and Women’s Strategy Committee co-chairs Carrie Cohen, Julie Park, and Stacey Sprenkel.Natalie joined Morrison Foerster in November 2013. She was appointed to the newly created role of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in December 2020, having previously served as the firm’s Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Natalie served as Human Resources Manager for Risk Management within Global Banking and Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Before that, she practiced trademark and copyright law and then served as the Special Projects Manager in the Office of Institutional Policy & Planning at Harvard Medical School overseeing the school’s 2011 accreditation process.In 2021, Natalie was named by Crain’s New York Business to its list of Notable Black Leaders & Executives 2021. The special section recognizes black men and women who have impacted New York City in major ways and sets out to honor their professional, civic, and philanthropic achievements. In 2023, Natalie was recognized as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2023 Most Influential Executives in Diversity & Inclusion. She was also selected to Law360’s Diversity & Inclusion Editorial Advisory Board, whose goal is to provide feedback on Law360’s coverage as well as expert insight on how to shape future coverage. Additionally, she was recognized in the Financial Times 2023 North America Innovative Lawyers report as one of seven individual “Change Makers” in the legal industry for her strategic leadership of the firm’s efforts to interrupt unconscious bias and advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In 2024, Natalie was named as a Change Driver in the Annual Diversity Awards of World IP Review (WIPR). The annual Diversity Awards recognize those who have made exceptional contributions to diversity and inclusion in the field of intellectual property.During Natalie’s tenure at MoFo, the firm has received multiple <a href="/culture/diversity#page-section-4" target="_self">diversity and inclusion awards and recognitions</a>.

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Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Natalie Kernisant provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of diverse talent at Morrison Foerster, as well as providing client development support in the area of diversity and inclusion.

Natalie Kernisant

Dorothy L. Fernandez is Pro Bono Counsel based in the Denver office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive pro bono program which includes, among other things, providing free legal services to low-income individuals, advising nonprofit organizations and assisting in other matters that serve the public interest. Dorothy’s primary focus is on working with lawyers in the firm’s Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver and Tokyo offices.In 1999, Dorothy joined Morrison & Foerster as an associate in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement and White-Collar Criminal Defense Group. She was elected a partner of the firm in 2004. Dorothy handled complex litigation at the state, federal and appellate levels and was responsible for drafting key dispositive motions in some of the firm’s largest securities litigation matters. In addition, she had an active pro bono practice and represented clients in individual matters, as well as cases addressing the treatment of children in foster care and the rights of LGBT individuals.A dedicated advocate for the LGBT community, Dorothy has served as co-chair of the board of directors of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and she also served on the board of the Pride Law Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to law students working on issues related to the equal rights of LGBT citizens and people living with HIV/AIDS.Dorothy currently serves on the board of directors of Centro Legal de la Raza, a nonprofit based in Oakland.Dorothy graduated from Stanford University in 1992 with a B.A. in psychology. She earned a J.D. in 1996 from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and co-chair of HLS Lambda. She has taught as an adjunct instructor at both Golden Gate University Law School and Santa Clara University Law School.

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Pro Bono Counsel

Dorothy works with lawyers in our Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego offices on various pro bono initiatives.

Dorothy L. Fernandez

Rachel Williams is pro bono counsel based in Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of providing free legal services to low-income individuals, to nonprofit organizations, and in matters that serve the public interest. Rachel works primarily with lawyers in the firm’s San Francisco, Palo Alto, London, Berlin, and Brussels offices. She is an active member of the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative and the board of directors of OneJustice. Rachel joined the firm in 1999. Prior to becoming a pro bono counsel, Rachel was a litigation associate in the firm’s Palo Alto office and worked on attorney training and development initiatives. Before law school, Rachel worked for various nonprofit organizations, was an investigator for the public defender’s office in Seattle, and served as a Coro Public Affairs Fellow in New York City.

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Rachel is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of providing free legal services to low-income individuals, to nonprofit organizations, and in matters that serve the public interest.

Rachel P. Williams

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MoFo Wins Asylum for Cameroonian Political Refugee

MoFo Sponsors the 2024 NAPABA Convention

Navigating Justice and Disability: A Conversation with Judge David Tatel

The MoFo Foundation Supports Pro Bono Partners

MoFo Sponsors the Black Counsel Forum 2024

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MoFo is pleased to congratulate litigation associate Chanwoo Park on receiving the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service in the Rising Star category from the <a href="https://www.federalbarcouncil.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Federal Bar Council</a>, recognizing his tremendous dedication to achieving justice for his pro bono clients.Chanwoo has provided more than 2,700 hours of pro bono service since becoming a summer associate in 2014, with no signs of slowing down. In her recommendation, MoFo Senior Pro Bono Counsel <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/jennifer-brown.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jennifer Brown</a> noted that “Chanwoo combines unsurpassed diligence in representation with an unassuming and even humble style, inspiring his clients’ trust and winning them outstanding results.”The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF)—the very organization founded by Thurgood Marshall—sent a letter of support on Chanwoo’s behalf. Chanwoo has been working with LDF since April 2019 on the headline-grabbing <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/lawsuit-filed-school-district-illegally-strip-searched-12-year-old-black-latina-students/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">I.S. v. Binghamton City School District</a>, a lawsuit challenging illegal, intrusive, non-consensual searches of four 12–year-old Black and Latina middle school girls conducted by school officials. LDF praised Chanwoo’s work on the case, describing him as “patient in breaking down complex legal issues during meetings, comprehensive in how he prepares our clients for depositions and other appearances, and thoughtful in how he listens and advises our clients around important decisions.” Chanwoo is dedicated to bringing justice to the litigants whose schooling and lives have been seriously disrupted by the incident. The case shines a light on the pervasive and racially disproportionate discipline imposed upon students of color throughout the United States education system.Earlier on in his career, Chanwoo volunteered to take a housing conditions case, in which he expected to represent a tenant who would be seeking a Housing Court order to repair unlawful conditions in his or her apartment. However, the case referral that Chanwoo actually accepted was representing a couple who were the lead plaintiffs in a federal RICO class action lawsuit against a landlord, who, at the time, owned approximately 15,000 apartments across New York City and were being accused of intimidating and harassing tenants in rent-regulated apartments in an attempt to empty its buildings to make way for higher-paying tenants.With guidance from MoFo of counsel Jayson Cohen, Chanwoo vigorously pursued the case, stepping into a minefield of complex New York City and New York State housing laws and amassing a record of thousands of incidents of harassment by the landlord. While most damages awards in the case were less than $5,000, the claims administrator awarded Chanwoo’s clients a six-figure damages award.Other cases of note that Chanwoo has dedicated his time to include appealing a federal court decision that denied disability benefits to a woman repeatedly hospitalized because of sickle cell disease, traveling to an Albany jail to help immigrant detainees prepare for their credible fear interviews as the first step in seeking asylum, and assisting with the defense of a Mexican journalist against a defamation claim brought by a former government official.The Federal Bar Council Thurgood Marshall Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service recognizes and celebrates lawyers who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to pro bono legal services, including pro bono services in federal courts or agencies within the Second Circuit. The award was announced during the Council’s Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon, held virtually on Wednesday, November 25, 2020.Chanwoo receives a special delivery from the firm in celebration of this great honor.<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-4943 size-full" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt26f6de9859009742/6287fcfb30bc9653db3ac39d/cpark_tmpba.jpg?format=auto&quality=60" width="491" height="654" sizes="(max-width: 491px) 100vw, 491px" type="asset" sys-style-type="download">

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Thurgood Marshall Pro Bono Award Presented to Rising Star Chanwoo Park

Thurgood Marshall Pro Bono Award Presented to Rising Star Chanwoo Park

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MoFo is pleased to congratulate litigation associate Chanwoo Park on receiving the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service in the R

The MoFo Veterans Affinity Group and Diversity Strategy Committee recently co-hosted its first quarterly discussion with partner <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/stacey-sprenkel.html#overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stacey Sprenkel</a>, associate <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/matthew-blum.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Matt Blum</a>, and National Security Analyst Reema Shocair Ali, moderated by litigation law clerk Dave Allman.Washington, D.C. partner and chair of the MoFo Vets Affinity Group <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/mark-whitaker.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Whitaker</a>, also a Navy veteran and co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Strategy Committee, kicked off the discussion by introducing the participants and handing it over to the group’s co-founder, Dave Allman, who provided an overview of the affinity group and its purpose.Comprised of partners, associates, and staff, MoFo Vets provides a platform for employees who are veterans, reservists, or military spouses—or people who just want to lend a hand towards supporting vets and their families through volunteer opportunities—to speak about their experiences and support one another. Its primary goal is to encourage the development and professional success of MoFo Vets lawyers and staff. Dave, an Air Force veteran who serves as chair for outreach and supports the firm’s Government Contracts and National Security Groups, thanked attorney career development manager, MoFo Vets member, and Navy spouse Christie Mizer for coordinating the panel discussion.Matt and Reema, who currently serve as reservists, shared their experiences in the military and how those experiences impact their careers at MoFo. Stacey, who is a champion for veterans’ rights, discussed her experiences on several high-profile impact cases on behalf of veterans, one of which garnered recognition for the firm from Swords to Plowshares as Pro Bono Partner of the Year last year.Dave: Stacey, would you mind telling us how you came to the firm, how long you’ve been here, and perhaps a brief overview of some of your veterans’ matters?Stacey: Sure. Thanks, Dave. I’m a partner in the San Francisco office. Just this Saturday I celebrated my 15-year anniversary with MoFo, which is kind of amazing and hard to believe. I lead the firm’s global ethics and compliance practice. But my passion—and sometimes I describe it as moonlighting—is to be a veterans’ advocate. Since I started at the firm, I’ve been doing a lot of pro bono work for veterans, primarily impact cases. These cases that were designed to try to change the current system by addressing systemic issues. We have taken on these cases not only with the goal of achieving a legal victory, but also to raise awareness around some of the different ways that veterans’ rights were not being protected by the system.Dave: Matt—just a quick note on Matt. As some of you know, he’s been recently promoted to major, so congratulations, Major. Matt, would you mind giving us a brief overview of your journey to MoFo and your service background?Matt: I joined Boston’s Technology Transactions Group in July 2019 as a lateral associate. Prior to my legal career, I served five years of active duty in the Army as an intelligence officer. Over the course of those five years, I had a few assignments in various locations. My first was at Fort Riley, Kansas, with the First Infantry Division, where I served as a battalion staff officer, and my primary role was advising the commander on matters regarding intelligence and security. That also included my first deployment to Afghanistan from 2013 to 2014. My next assignment was in Germany for a couple years, where I was assigned to a theater intelligence brigade and served as an intelligence operations planner and branch chief of an intelligence analysis team as part of U.S. Army Europe. I joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2017.Dave: Matt, can you tell us about your continued service in and out of uniform?Matt: What got me started was certainly—as stereotypical as it sounds—the desire to serve, which I know is very common among most folks who are in the military these days. It’s the great thing about having a volunteer force. Everyone to your right and left typically really wants to be there, and I didn’t necessarily come from a military family, but it was something I was always interested in from a very young age. Although I left active duty in 2017 to practice law, I didn’t want to walk away from the military entirely. So, I became a reservist, and fortunately have found that I am able to balance my military and civilian commitments. I absolutely love being able to continue to serve and would recommend it to everybody.Dave: How does MoFo distinguish itself from other firms when dealing with your service obligation and time away from the firm?Matt: At first I wasn’t sure how it all would work out being a reservist and also trying to practice law at the same time, but I can say that I’ve been extremely fortunate to have experienced fantastic support from my employers, who, for the most part, don’t have much direct experience or knowledge of the military. However, it was absolutely crystal clear from the beginning that I had the full support of the firm and all of my colleagues. I recognize my military obligations certainly cause uncertainty and extra work for others, but nevertheless there have been so many people here who have supported me, asking, “What can we do for you?”, and “How can we make this easy?” I’d say that’s really where MoFo as an organization distinguishes itself—it’s the people I work with. I don’t think you can quantify it, but there’s a significant weight that comes off your shoulders when you know you can focus on your military mission when you need to, and you can focus on your fellow Soldiers or Seamen or Airmen, while not having to worry about your regular full-time job at the same time.Reema: Most of my career has been in government prior to MoFo, and in government it’s actually pretty easy to be a reservist because there’s just a ton of overlap. It’s definitely harder in the private sector to be a reservist than it is in government, but that’s not specific to MoFo. That’s going to be anywhere you go. It’s just different. What I will say is that we cannot do this without civilian support. We just can’t. I’m really appreciative that MoFo goes above and beyond and do everything they possibly can to support us.Dave: Speaking of your individual practices, how has your work in the service influenced your practice at MoFo?Matt: An Army career is like a “Big Law boot camp.” You come into the role of an attorney and it’s very demanding and fast-paced. There are complex issues that you need to continuously assess and solve that involve critical thinking. The Army’s approach is certainly very similar to that with how it approaches operations and tasks generally. It’s all based on working together as a team and using each other’s strengths to really come together with a solution.Dave: There’s a teamwork aspect of things drilled into you. It’s a part of something bigger than just you. So Reema, has that been your experience, as well?Reema: I echo everything Matt said, and I think the military really drills into you “one team, one fight”: an all-hands-on-deck sort of mantra. It’s been really helpful to look at things and approach problems as we’re all in this together. Since I’m in the National Security practice, there’s actually a lot of substantive overlap, which is also nice. I think the military just gives you a unique experience that you can bring to the table when you approach things, and that’s also been a great asset to have.Dave: How has your practice at MoFo influenced your service?Matt: For me, it definitely goes back to interacting with people and making sure you’re taking care of their concerns first, then managing tasks. I’ve learned new tricks here with different people I’ve worked with at MoFo. Of course, it’s not military-related, but rather in how they approach problems and create solutions. I can take these lessons back to my Army team, and I know they’ll benefit from that as well.Reema: We have a lot in the Navy Reserves of what we call administrivia, or admin work. We do a lot. It’s an inordinate amount. To say it gives you a whole different level of appreciation for a law firm where there are people to support you doing that admin work would be an understatement.Dave: I’d like to turn to Stacey to talk about the work we’ve been doing on the pro bono side on behalf of veterans. Stacey, can you speak more about the cases you’ve worked on?Stacey: One significant case of note is the Edgewood Arsenal case. There was a group of soldiers who were subjected to chemical and biological weapons testing, primarily during the Cold War era, by our government during their service in the Army. One of the issues in the case was the fact that those individuals who had served as test participants were sworn to secrecy and told that they could never talk about what they had experienced or what they were exposed to, which not only impacted their ability to move through it in their own lives, but also impacted their ability to speak with their doctors and obtain adequate medical care for any conditions that were potentially caused by their exposure.In addition, many of those test participants had no idea what they were exposed to (let alone the potential health-related consequences of those exposures) because numbers were used to explain the substances that they were given, and so again, their ability to obtain medical care and to establish a service-connected condition for purposes of VA benefits was really limited. Finally, the Army was not providing any medical care to test participants for the conditions that were caused by their exposures. There is an Army regulation that we believed did compel the Army to provide medical care for conditions that had arisen out of exposure, and thankfully the court agreed.We were tremendously successful in the district court and then again at the appellate court, and I am very happy to say that, today, there are many veterans who were test participants who are now obtaining medical care from the Army as a result of the resolution of the Edgewood Arsenal case.Dave: Wow. That’s incredible, Stacey. I know you have worked on other impact cases on behalf of veterans as well. Can you share more?Stacey: Sure. Another substantial impact case that the firm took on was brought on behalf of service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who had PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, or other mental health conditions as a result of their service in the military. We had spoken with many service members and their family members and learned that there were significant issues with the ability of veterans to obtain timely medical care or service-related disability compensation for their mental health conditions. And sadly, this had led to an epidemic of veteran suicides. We brought a case against the VA for what we argued were unconstitutional and unreasonable delays in both the provision of medical care and in adjudicating claims for service-connected disability compensation.While these impact cases are important, and can generate significant attention (media attention, congressional attention, and public awareness), there are also many other things we can do as a community to support veterans, both by supporting individual veterans in connection with their own claims, and by donating time and money to veterans organizations. MoFo has a long history, going back decades, of supporting veterans and veterans’ issues, and we are recognized as one of the foremost firms involved with veterans’ advocacy. It’s a really important part of our firm’s history and the legacy of Gordy Erspamer, the partner who hired me and originally got me involved with advocating on behalf of veterans.I encourage you all to consider that, while not all of us have been able to serve our country by joining the military, there are meaningful things that we can do to serve the men and women that have served and are still serving our country.<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gLZvvy99OPw?rel=0" title="Video: MoFo Salutes Our Active Service Members and Military Vets" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="1" title="iframe"></iframe>

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MoFo Vets Affinity Group Panel Discussion: Working at MoFo While Serving Our Country

MoFo Vets Affinity Group Panel Discussion: Working at MoFo While Serving Our Country

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The MoFo Veterans Affinity Group and Diversity Strategy Committee recently co-hosted its first quarterly discussion with partner Stacey Sprenkel, associate Matt

Earlier this year, in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-5924_n6io.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ramos v. Louisiana</a>, the U.S. Supreme Court made the landmark decision to declare non-unanimous jury convictions unconstitutional in state criminal trials. The decision represented a significant victory in the lengthy struggle to put an end to Jim Crow juries, originally instated to oppress and imprison Black people, resulting in countless wrongful convictions across the state of Louisiana and elsewhere. In spite of this monumental decision, the ruling, as it stands, does not apply to the more than 1,500 Louisianans who are currently imprisoned—many for the rest of their lives—after being convicted by a non-unanimous jury.On December 2, 2020, the Supreme Court will hear argument in <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/edwards-v-vannoy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Edwards v. Vannoy</a>, which will decide whether the ruling announced in Ramos applies retroactively. Meanwhile, Morrison & Foerster is one of 40 firms that has joined the Jim Crow Juries Project, launched by the Promise of Justice Initiative (PJI), to file court petitions on behalf of the 1,500 wrongfully incarcerated people. In each of the filings, lawyers ask the court for a new trial or to resentence the individual to time served. Under Louisiana law, the petitions must be filed within one year of the April 2020 Ramos decision.According to Jamila Johnson, Managing Attorney of the Jim Crow Juries Project, applying the law retroactively is a critical step to restoring justice and healing the wounds inflicted by Jim Crow juries. “Jim Crow juries are systemic racism defined: a law written by white supremacists that continues to deprive thousands of predominantly Black Louisianans of their liberty,” said Ms. Johnson.MoFo is currently collaborating with PJI to represent five clients on these petitions.  The lawyers involved are litigation partners Demme Doufekias in Washington, D.C., David Fioccola and Ron White in New York, and Judson Lobdell in San Francisco, together with associates Lena Hughes, Malka Levitin, Kat Mateo, Natasha Menell, Mark Sobin, and Elnaz Zarrini in New York and Ken Sexauer in San Francisco, and paralegals Alfredo Chamorro and Matthew Franks.Ms. Johnson adds, “We are thankful to the attorneys at Morrison & Foerster and all those who are contributing their time and resources to help us restore justice and finally put an end to shameful Jim Crow juries once and for all.”Watch this <a href="https://vimeo.com/476268350" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> to see the inspiring, real life story of Edna Gibson, a domestic violence survivor who was convicted of second‑degree murder by a 10-2 non-unanimous jury in 1987 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, until the Governor of Louisiana commuted her sentence, granting her parole in 2020.

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MoFo Partners with Promise of Justice Initiative to Advocate for Louisianans Still Imprisoned by Jim Crow Juries

MoFo Partners with Promise of Justice Initiative to Advocate for Louisianans Still Imprisoned by Jim Crow Juries 

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Earlier this year, in Ramos v. Louisiana, the U.S. Supreme Court made the landmark decision to declare non-unanimous jury convictions unconstitutional in state 

MoFo Partners with Promise of Justice Initiative to Advocate for Louisianans Still Imprisoned by Jim Crow Juries

The tireless benefactor of 3,300 hours of pro bono legal work to Morrison & Foerster’s nonprofit and social enterprise clients, Washington, D.C.-based <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/linda-arnsbarger.html">Linda Arnsbarger</a> is the winner of the ABA Business Law Section’s 2020 National Public Service Award. The Honorable Elizabeth Stong, Co-Chair of the Business Law Section Pro Bono Committee, presented the award to Linda during the Section’s September 2020 meeting, held remotely.A federal tax lawyer who has been with the firm for more than 30 years, Linda has worked on 482 matters for MoFo’s organizational pro bono clients, which she describes as “companies with big ideas about what they can do to help the world.” She has assisted entities at every level and as diverse as the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association and The Nature Conservancy. The legal advice she donates spans the areas of tax, governance, contracts, and intellectual property, and spans the globe.Nonprofits that have benefited from her pro bono counsel include an organization that provides conservation programs in the Amazon region, an organization that works to improve maternal health in East Africa, and a group that runs schools for low-income children in Cambodia.“It’s difficult for these clients to navigate the system that our world imposes on charities,” Linda explains. “Helping them get past the red tape and move forward on their missions has been very rewarding.”Another area of Linda’s pro bono practice involves helping nonprofits benefit from the increasing popularity of impact investing without sacrificing the tax-exempt status that the U.S. Internal Revenue Code affords to public charities.As passionate as Linda is about her corporate work for organizational clients, she says she’s especially proud of having collaborated with members of MoFo’s appellate group in the early years of her career to work on special education issues.“I have a personal interest in special education law and had been following the development of that law for a long time, but there hadn’t really been any pro bono work in the area,” Linda explains.Fortunately, a then-member of the MoFo litigation group had experience working with organizations that supported children and had also worked for the Department of Education. Because the colleague of Linda’s was so well-informed in that discipline, MoFo was invited to prepare seven amicus briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of groups supporting disability rights including the National Disability Rights Network, The Arc, the Autism Society, and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.While amicus briefs can sometimes just reiterate the legal arguments of several other parties, Linda and her team didn’t take that approach.“It’s not effective,” Linda says. “The important thing is to illustrate how the case and the potential decision will affect a community of people, such as children with epilepsy, children with cerebral palsy, children with autism, and the families involved. We also pulled up hard data that was deeply embedded in Department of Education databases to show that perhaps arguments being made on the other side weren’t correct.”The MoFo team’s hard work and strategic thinking paid off.“In at least a couple of those cases, the decision actually cited data we had used in our brief,” recalls Linda, who first joined MoFo as a summer associate. “Knowing that the arguments you’re making are being heard is definitely rewarding.”

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Kudos to Linda Arnsbarger for Winning the ABA Business Law Section’s 2020 National Public Service Awar

Kudos to Linda Arnsbarger for Winning the ABA Business Law Section’s 2020 National Public Service Award

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The tireless benefactor of 3,300 hours of pro bono legal work to Morrison & Foerster’s nonprofit and social enterprise clients, Washington, D.C.-based Linda Arn

Should every person convicted of three felonies get the maximum possible sentence without possibility of parole even if his or her offenses were nonviolent? That’s the law in Mississippi, where, under the state’s “<a href="https://law.stanford.edu/stanford-justice-advocacy-project/three-strikes-basics/">Three Strikes Law</a>,” a person convicted of a third felony can be sentenced to decades in prison, regardless of the severity of his or her crimes.MoFo litigation department associate Janelle Hyun, who works out of the firm’s Tokyo office, has had the opportunity to speak with the families and friends of several people serving unduly harsh sentences under the Three Strikes Law. One situation in particular stands out in her mind.“This individual, who was convicted of multiple drug offenses, had been a loving and a diligent man before sustaining severe burn injuries at work, which led to prolonged opioid treatments, which in turn resulted in his drug addiction,” Janelle said. “His fiancée was able to provide us with a Letter of Support detailing this downward spiral. Being able to personalize his situation, made a significant difference in the petition we prepared.”Janelle helped to complete the petition she references as part of her pro bono work for the <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/">Southern Poverty Law Center</a> (SPLC). Since January 2020, MoFo’s Tokyo office has been assisting the SPLC in seeking parole eligibility for people incarcerated in Mississippi as part of <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/news/2020/03/17/splcs-three-strikes-project-helps-nonviolent-offenders-move-prison-parole">SPLC’s Three Strikes Project</a>.“The Three Strikes Project emerged from SPLC’s criminal justice reform work, which culminated with the passage of Mississippi House Bill 585 in 2014,” <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-morgan-esq-33755815/">Jade Morgan</a>, SPLC staff attorney for the Three Strikes Project, explains. “Under the bill, someone who was sentenced to a mandatory maximum, parole-ineligible sentence under the ‘Three Strikes Law’ and has served at least 25 percent of his or her sentence may petition the sentencing court for parole eligibility. Through the Three Strikes Project, we are working to reunite families that have been torn apart by Mississippi’s unduly harsh criminal justice system.”Since the Tokyo office first became involved in SPLC’s Three Strikes Project, the office has worked on at least 40 petitions, and MoFo’s Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco offices have gotten on board. Many of the firm’s summer associates also worked on petitions.The sentencing judges have discretion in determining whether a petitioner will get a parole hearing.  In addition to showing that an individual has served 25% of his or her sentence, the petitions also describe rehabilitation efforts, including degrees or certificates earned while incarcerated.  The petitions also contain letters of support from family members and friends who will support petitioners if released.These letters of support are often facilitated by interviews that the MoFo volunteers conduct with the petitioners’ loved ones.“Being able to talk to the friends and family is really helpful because it allows us to understand the petitioner’s history, character, and interests, and to use that information to humanize the petitions” said Keiko Rose, a litigation associate in the Tokyo office, who serves as the project manager on this pro bono work for SPLC.“Mississippi has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. The pandemic is exacerbating prison-overcrowding there and highlighting the need for these petitions,” Keiko said. “And so the Southern Poverty Law Center is trying to file a petition for every eligible person incarcerated in Mississippi. We’re assisting SPLC in that effort.”

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Bringing Hope to Individuals Serving Harsh Sentences for Non-Violent Crimes

Should every person convicted of three felonies get the maximum possible sentence without possibility of parole even if his or her offenses were nonviolent? Tha

Bringing Hope to Individuals Serving Harsh Sentences for Non-Violent Crimes

Pictured above: Boston associates Caroline Duer Agan, Dan Gonzalez, and Teddy Wan representing MoFo at the 21st annual Best Buddies Challenge. In a year full of unexpected challenges, Morrison & Foerster was delighted to partake in the 21st annual <a href="https://www.bestbuddieschallenge.org/hp/event-overview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Best Buddies – Hyannis Port Challenge</a> on September 25 and 26, 2020. Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing opportunities for friendships, integration, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.For this year’s event, MoFo participants Caroline Agan, John Caruolo, Will Gerber, Daniel Gonzalez, Mike Maroni, and Theodore Wan entered in a virtual, self-tailored 100-, 50-, or 20-mile bike ride or a 5k run/walk to support the organization and raise awareness for its mission.Read more about MoFo’s participation in last year’s Best Buddies Challenge <a href="https://together.mofo.com/pro-bono/mofo-boston-takes-on-the-2019-best-buddies-challenge-in-hyannis-port/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> and follow #BestBuddiesChallenge for more information and great photos of this year’s events!

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MoFo Takes on the 2020 Best Buddies Hyannis Port Challenge

MoFo Takes on the 2020 Best Buddies Hyannis Port Challenge

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Pictured above: Boston associates Caroline Duer Agan, Dan Gonzalez, and Teddy Wan representing MoFo at the 21st annual Best Buddies Challenge.  In a year full o

Morrison & Foerster’s history of advocating for individual victims of police brutality and fighting for sweeping criminal justice policy reform goes back decades. Taking on pro bono cases in this area is part of the fabric of our firm, thanks in large part to MoFo partner and trial titan <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/arturo-gonzalez.html">Arturo González</a>.During his 35-year tenure at the firm, Arturo has worked on more than 100 pro bono cases, many of which have been civil rights cases resulting in meaningful changes to the policies and procedures practiced by law enforcement and government agencies. Because of his vast experience in this area of the law, we wanted to get his thoughts on the current state of policing and civil misconduct in the United States.In this <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/video-audio/200930-mofo-perspectives-civil-misconduct.html">MoFo Perspectives podcast</a>, moderated by MoFo litigation partner Alexis Amezcua, Arturo speaks about his experience handling these cases, in addition to the important policy reforms that he’s pushed for, and what he thinks needs to happen to establish true equality in the eyes of the law.In light of the ongoing events surrounding the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Morrison & Foerster has been mobilizing its resources to help put an end to episodes of police brutality racial injustice, like the police custody killing of George Floyd.In May, MoFo Chair Larren Nashelsky addressed the firm, pledging that “We will not be casual observers to injustice. We will do more, and we will do it together.” Taking up this call to action, MoFo’s Diversity Strategy Committee, Diversity + Inclusion team, and firm leadership created four firmwide engagement committees organized around the areas of need identified in Larren’s message, including education, community action, legal services to support racial justice, and charitable giving through <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/mofo-foundation">The MoFo Foundation</a>.On Monday, June 8, 2020, Larren led over 30 leaders of major New York-based law firms in writing to Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/news/200610-repeal-50-a.html">urging the repeal of Section 50-a</a> of the state’s Civil Rights Law—an immense barrier to police misconduct accountability.Another recent effort with far-reaching consequences was led by San Diego litigators Suzy Marinkovich and Ben Kagel, who were successful in getting their client’s name removed from California’s controversial gang member database managed by the San Diego Police Department—commonly known as “CalGang.” Their petition was one of the first filed under a recently enacted California statute that permits residents to legally contest their entry into this database.Currently, Los Angeles litigators Wendy Ray, Andrew Stanley, Maggie Buckles, and Alison Frost are representing a client in an excessive force action against the Los Angeles Police Department. The client, who was unarmed and was not resisting arrest, was shot several times in his wrist and arm—after being asked to raise his hands—causing permanent nerve damage and scarring. The trial is set to take place in September 2020.These are just a few examples of how MoFo has been actively engaging with the community and our nonprofit partners to fight back against racial and criminal injustice—a fight we plan to continue until we see real and lasting change.Listen to the full podcast:<a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/video-audio/200930-mofo-perspectives-civil-misconduct.html">MoFo Perspectives: Arturo González on the State of Policing and Civil Misconduct</a>

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Trial Lawyer Arturo González Addresses the State of Policing and Civil Misconduct for the MoFo Perspectives Podcast

Trial Lawyer Arturo González Addresses the State of Policing and Civil Misconduct for the MoFo Perspectives Podcast

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Morrison & Foerster’s history of advocating for individual victims of police brutality and fighting for sweeping criminal justice policy reform goes back decade

For many of us, it’s easy to take everyday things for granted; things like a roof over our head, a floor under our feet, a safe place to sleep, or clean-running water. But for people living in emerging countries or natural disaster zones, these seemingly commonplace things aren’t always guaranteed. Two innovative nonprofits — Build Change and Every Shelter– are working to change that.Build Change MoFo began working with Build Change in 2009, when the group came to us seeking advice on how to best protect its intellectual property. Build Change designs disaster-resistant houses and schools in emerging nations and trains builders, homeowners, engineers, and government officials to build them. We have also assisted the international nonprofit with corporate governance and employment advice.Today, MoFo’s relationship with Build Change continues as it expands its international efforts. Corporate finance associate Rose Zukin Pierson has worked closely with Build Change, reviewing and updating its bylaws to reflect its current operations and ensure they are aligned with best practices for California nonprofits. MoFo of counsel Justin Haan and associate Jill Tellioglu from the firm’s Technology Transaction Group recently advised Build Change regarding a potential partnership with a private company and prepared and revised non-disclosure agreements for use by Build Change in future engagements.Build Change was formed in 2004, shortly after founder Dr. Elizabeth Hausler traveled to India as a Fulbright Scholar to study the way people rebuilt their homes after major disasters, such as the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Gujarat, India in 2001. What she discovered was that the homeowners, whose homes had been rebuilt by international relief agencies, often feared the construction wouldn’t hold up over time, especially if another natural disaster were to test its strength.Elizabeth also discovered that homes built by these agencies in developing countries may not be culturally appropriate or sustainable, given local construction sector resources. To address this challenge, the Build Back Better program was established to ensure that homeowners are actively involved in the decision-making and construction process. This homeowner-driven reconstruction and retrofitting approach enables vulnerable families to live in safer houses because they are trained to manage the purchase of good-quality construction materials and to oversee construction. Additionally, the program works to connect homeowners with financing options to support rebuilding their homes.By using materials and skills that are available through the local private sector, Build Change has been helping communities not only to rebuild, but also to stimulate local demand for materials and services, creating jobs and the capacity to apply the home-building process to other critical structures, such as schools and cultural institutions. Over the last 15 years, the organization has constructed nearly 80,000 safe buildings, creating nearly 30,000 jobs and training 54,000 people in its sustainable building processes. Rose notes that “working with Elizabeth has been a pleasure. She’s always responsive to our advice when it comes to regulations and other matters. You can tell how passionate she is about running the organization effectively, so it’s no surprise what she’s been able to accomplish. I look forward to working with her and her team for years to come.”Every Shelter Another innovative organization that MoFo has been proud to partner with is <a href="https://everyshelter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Every Shelter</a>, a nonprofit dedicated to developing low-cost, high-impact products geared towards improving the lives of refugees living in shelters. Every Shelter’s best-known product, the Emergency Floor system, provides families living in shelter encampments with quickly deployable, lightweight, and insulated flooring that is easy to install and requires no tools.There are currently millions of refugees living in shelters, which are intended to be temporary but oftentimes end up being not so temporary. Many live in these makeshift shelters for upwards of 12-17 years, most with no flooring. In crowded camps, this often means a dirt floor with poor drainage, flooding issues, and no barriers against sewage and human waste. As noted in an article by Every Shelter Co-Founder Nicole Iman, titled <a href="https://everyshelter.org/what-difference-can-a-floor-make/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Difference Can a Floor Make?</a>, a study on the impacts of a social program in Mexico called Piso Firme (Firm Floor) found that by replacing dirt floors with a clean floor surface, parasitic infections in children can be decreased by as much as 78%, diarrhea by 49%, and anemia by 81%. The study also found an increase in childhood cognitive development by up to 96%. Adults responded to solid flooring with lower rates of depression and stress and higher satisfaction in their quality of life.Our first project for Every Shelter engaged a New York litigation team, London associate Harriet Sassoon, and trainee solicitors Ziqi Qi and Matthew Rodin to develop a statement of supply-chain principles and expectations for Every Shelter’s suppliers. The statement covered slavery, child labor, and safe working conditions.Beijing corporate senior counsel Sherry Yin was poised to assist Every Shelter with its next request: negotiating contracts with potential Emergency Floor manufacturers in China.  However, the Covid-19 epidemic and other developments led the group to move its manufacturing to Turkey instead.  While advising on contracts in Turkey was beyond our capacity, we succeeded in connecting Every Shelter to pro bono counsel there through the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation.Most recently, Every Shelter has sought our help to engage with the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to ensure that its shipments of Emergency Floor products to organizations that house refugees in Syria would not violate U.S. sanctions. Washington, D.C. litigation of counsels Aki Bayz and Michael Dobson, as well as co-head of the firm’s National Security practice John Smith, are leading this effort. On the importance of this work, Aki notes, “Given the refugee crises in Syria, it is rewarding to assist Every Shelter in supporting its humanitarian efforts to relieve suffering.”<a href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/pro-bono" target="_self">Learn more about MoFo’s commitment to pro bono</a>.

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Meet the Innovative MoFo Clients That Are Working to Improve Living Conditions for Displaced Individuals

Meet the Innovative MoFo Clients That Are Working to Improve Living Conditions for Displaced Individuals

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For many of us, it’s easy to take everyday things for granted; things like a roof over our head, a floor under our feet, a safe place to sleep, or clean-running

At age 97, Betty Reid Soskin is not only the oldest National Park Ranger, she’s a powerful voice for the African-American wartime experience. When visitors come to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/rori/index.htm">Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park</a>, they are eager to find Betty and get a photo with this national treasure, who still works five days a week presenting her unique perspective on American history to packed theaters at the park. Before joining the National Park Service at the age of 85, Betty was an entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, community activist, and legislative representative, and also played an integral role in planning the park.The WWII Home Front National Historical Park was founded in the year 2000 to honor the many heroes who worked on the home front to support the war. With a shortage of white male workers who were sent into service, the United States Government began to actively recruit women and, later, minorities to war industry jobs. “Rosie the Riveter” became an iconic symbol for the nearly six million women who entered the workforce during WWII.The great granddaughter of slaves and a former file clerk for the Boilermakers Union A-36, a Jim Crow all-Black union auxiliary, Betty’s life has been filled with challenges and painful moments, yet she remains hopeful that the next generation will benefit from the history lessons of those who paved the way for them. She first caught the attention of the public during the government shutdown of 2013, when she, as the oldest furloughed National Park Ranger, told the media that gridlocked legislators were wasting her precious time to do important work.A team of MoFo lawyers from the San Francisco office has partnered with the Rosie the Riveter Trust—a nonprofit formed to support the national historical park—to ensure that Betty’s important work is remembered through a documentary film by Carl Bidleman titled No Time to Waste. Partner Paul Jahn has been advising the Trust on IP and commercial issues relating to film production for some time. More recently, MoFo corporate associate <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittaniojoghofields/">Brittani Ojogho-Fields</a> did a content clearance review on the film with the help of summer associates <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidknabe/">Reid Knabe</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-manny-p%C3%A9rez-45744299/">Manny Perez</a>. Paul and Brittani also prepared an agreement with the Bay Area NBC affiliate to air the film on television, which received over 28,000 household views.No Time to Waste explores the life of this legendary National Park Ranger, her reflections on her role in the park’s planning, and her recollections of the African-American woman’s experience working in a segregated environment while supporting the war effort. Betty recalls that often, she “was the only person in the room who had any reason to remember that … what gets remembered is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering.”Brittani summarizes what working on this project has meant to her, stating “I am extremely honored to be working with the Trust and assisting in sharing the inspiring story of Betty’s life and work with the world. Her lifelong commitment to social justice, even in the face of many obstacles, sets such a motivating example of how we all should dedicate ourselves to creating positive, lasting change in our own communities.”MoFo will continue to work with the Rosie the Riveter Trust as it further promotes No Time to Waste and raises the money needed to enable broader distribution of it. Until then, the film is available for rent for a limited time here: <a href="https://www.notimetowastefilm.com/">https://www.notimetowastefilm.com/</a>.

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The World’s Oldest National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin Has No Time to Waste

The World’s Oldest National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin Has No Time to Waste

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At age 97, Betty Reid Soskin is not only the oldest National Park Ranger, she’s a powerful voice for the African-American wartime experience. When visitors come

One thing that struck me when I interviewed with Morrison & Foerster last year was the firm’s commitment to pro bono work. When I spoke to partner Colette Reiner Mayer during my interview, I was impressed to learn that MoFo had sued the government for inhumane conditions at an Arizona detention center in Doe v. Wolf. So, I was excited when we were given the chance to hear more about the case during the summer program.The Doe v. Wolf team described the appalling conditions in the center and showed us some shocking images unearthed during the case. They shared their stories from the case, including how they dealt with the destruction of video evidence and how everyone on the team fell ill with a bad flu right before trial. This was the first major lawsuit challenging conditions in detention centers, and its successful outcome paved the way for future litigation in other detention centers. From listening to this story, it was clear to me that MoFo attorneys can make a real difference with their pro bono work.Even the firm’s smaller pro bono projects can help the community and teach us how to be better lawyers and advocates. This summer, I worked on a conservatorship case for a local couple with a disabled child. The couple was seeking conservatorship to make medical decisions for their son, who has a learning disability. I was given the task of preparing the clients’ conservatorship application, with assistance from Palo Alto partner Rudy Kim and associate Albert Rugo.While on this case, I learned the most by observing Rudy and Albert during our client meetings. It stood out to me how well they were able to explain the application process and answer the clients’ questions. Watching them also showed me how important it is to view things from the clients’ perspective. Once, when I was reviewing a form with the client, I asked a series of questions about the client’s financial situation. Sensing some discomfort at these questions, the attorneys reassured the client that the court only considers these questions to get a fuller picture of their financial situation. Past financial hardship would not disqualify them from obtaining conservatorship. By anticipating the clients’ concerns and viewing it from their perspective, the attorneys were able to put the client at ease. This experience taught me that, no matter the size of the case, building rapport with clients and understanding their point of view is paramount to our work.From cases like Doe v. Wolf to smaller ones like the conservatorship, pro bono gives us the opportunity to develop our legal and interpersonal skills and give back to the community. I left my previous career as a software engineer in part because I wanted to help people more directly with legal skills rather than programming skills. Learning about the Pro Bono program was one of the highlights of my MoFo experience so far, and I know it will continue to be part of my life as an attorney.xxx<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacynfujii/">Kacyn Fujii</a> is a Wetmore fellow in the Palo Alto office. She is a rising 2L at Michigan Law School interested in IP litigation. Kacyn got her M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and her B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College. She likes to dabble in various instruments like melodica and ukulele (she bid on steel drum lessons in the Michigan Law auction for the next time she’s in Ann Arbor).

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My MoFo Story: Kacyn Fujii on Exploring How MoFo’s Pro Bono Program Makes a Difference

My MoFo Story: Kacyn Fujii on Exploring How MoFo’s Pro Bono Program Makes a Difference

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One thing that struck me when I interviewed with Morrison & Foerster last year was the firm’s commitment to pro bono work. When I spoke to partner Colette Reine