Human Rights Justice at Rikers - Paul Weiss Sponsors Equal Justice Works Fellow Aubree Aguinaga

 It is currently at Rikers Island that law firm Paul Weiss, chaired by Brad Karp, is focusing on social justice. Since its formation in 1875 the law firm has championed human-rights initiatives. After Karp became leader in 2008, it has been developing innovative approaches to social justice. Those include its unique COVID Resource Center.

SPONSORING EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOW

Paul Weiss is sponsoring 2022 Equal Justice Works fellow Aubree Aguinaga. Here is how Paul Weiss describes its outreach for addressing the challenges at Rikers Island. Among those challenges is that the amount of bail at Rikers can be 35% higher for people of color. In addition, those who can’t pay bail could find themselves with longer sentences.

The ethos of Equal Justice Works is to “create opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service.”  

Throughout that two-year fellowship, Aguinaga will be hosted by The Bronx Defenders.

FOUR - FOLD MISSION

Aguinaga’s focus is four-fold.

One, she will represent those based in New York City who are pre-trial detainees at disciplinary hearings. She will also offer advocacy and education for the low-income experiencing issues involving human rights at Rikers.

Two, she will create educational training programs for lawyers to deal with disciplinary hearing rights. The training will also assist them in representing cases against the Department of Corrections which contain alleged violations of human rights.

Three, Aguinaga will monitor the Department of Corrections shared data and fuse it with her own observed data. Based on that aggregate, she intends to determine the efficacy of new disciplinary procedures.

And four, she will structure lawsuits to highlight what strategies create the foundation for broader systemic relief.

THE TIMING

Timing is almost everything. The timing is just right for this broad initiative. As some know, recent New York City policy allows counsel for research, education, data, and representation for low-income people of color who are unable to pay for bail in the Bronx.

PAUL WEISS “PRO BONO LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR” AND MORE

In April 2022, The American Civil Liberties Union recognized Paul Weiss as the “Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year.” Essentially that award was for the law firm’s sustained efforts during the recent past on behalf of families subjected to the inhumane separation practices of the Trump Administration.

A recent high-profile pro-bono win had been in “Sines v Kessler.” Paul Weiss lawyers served as co-counsel in the successful verdict and more than $25 million in damages against the Charlottesville, Virginia “Unite the Right” Rally Organization.

Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova at janegenova374@gmail.com. Now and then she does freelance communications assignments for professional services firms such as Paul Weiss and their vendors. 

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