Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Stuart J. Land

Throughout a career spanning more that 45 years, Stuart Land has been at the forefront of Arnold & Porter’s exceptional pro bono program, serving as its chair on two occasions, most recently between 1997 and 2000. This program has been recognized on a number of occasions by the D.C. Bar and the ABA, as they presented Arnold & Porter with their Pro Bono Firm of the Year Awards.

As a Washington Lawyers’ Committee Executive Committee Member since 1973 and its Co-Chair between 1976 and 1978, Stuart, by his wise counsel and leadership, contributed enormously to the Committee’s success and growth. During his term as Co-Chair, he was a strong advocate of the Committee’s decision to establish new programs in the fields of public education reform and immigrant rights, both of which are now core elements of the Committee’s ongoing work. He has been a tireless and effective leader in the Committee’s efforts to enlist new law firms in its support. In similar fashion, he played a leading role in his firm’s decision to join the Committee in its successful representation of the Fair Employment Council of Greater Washington in the first case to recognize the standing of testers in an employment discrimination case.

In more recent years, Stuart has been a strong advocate of public education reform in the District, working closely with our Public Education Projects on a number of assignments. He was a strong advocate of his firm’s creation of a model Loaned Associate Program, whereby firm lawyers are assigned to work with area public interest organizations for periods of six months. The Committee has been the beneficiary of three such fellows.

In addition to distinguished service with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, Stuart has also been active with the National Lawyers’ Committee, serving as its Co-Chair between 1987 and 1989.

John A. Payton, Jr.

It would difficult to imagine a lawyer who better exemplifies the commitment to equal justice and excellence we associate with Wiley Branton than John Payton. Virtually from the moment of his arrival at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in 1978, John demonstrated a unique capacity to combine a successful legal practice with a position of true leadership in the field of civil rights. The Committee is most grateful that on numerous occasions John’s exemplary advocacy and leadership skills have been applied on its behalf. These efforts have included the litigation of several important cases challenging racial discrimination in the D.C. construction industry and distinguished service as a Committee Executive Committee and Board member for over 25 years and as one of its Co-Chairs in 1996 and 1997.

John’s achievements extend well beyond his work with the Lawyers’ Committee to include, among many other things, his service as Legal Coordinator of the Free South Africa Movement and his advocacy before the U.S. Supreme Court on two occasions, Richmond v. Croson and the recent University of Michigan cases. His efforts in these cases have been an essential part of the ongoing legal fight to preserve affirmative action as a means of redressing historic discrimination and encouraging diversity.

John’s public service has included a term as Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia and, most recently, President of the D.C. Bar. He has also served as a Co-Chair of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and currently serves on the boards of Global Rights and the District of Columbia Public Defender Service.