PRESS ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 04, 2002

 
Contact: Da'aga Hill Bowman, Director, Public Information
Washington
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Tel: (202) 319-1000  extension 155

WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE HONORS
FORMER ATTORNEYS GENERAL RENO AND THORNBURGH

Former Attorneys General Janet Reno and Dick Thornburgh will share honors on Wednesday, June 5th at the Wiley A. Branton Annual Awards Luncheon of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.  The Committee will recognize the former Attorneys General for their achievements in promoting and protecting the civil rights of Americans with disabilities. The luncheon will be held at The Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel, Independence Ballroom, from 12:00 noon2:00 pm.

The Wiley Branton Award is bestowed annually upon a member of the legal community whose lifetime efforts on behalf of civil rights advocacy exemplify the deep commitment of civil rights lawyer Wiley A. Branton, Sr. The Alfred McKenzie Award, named after a Committee plaintiff who helped win equal treatment for himself and his co-workers, was established to recognize clients of the Committee whose dedication and courage have produced civil rights victories of particular significance.

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee was established in 1968 to provide pro bono legal services to address discrimination and entrenched poverty in the Washington community. Since its founding, the Committee has handled more than 5,000 cases on behalf of individuals and groups in the areas of equal employment opportunity, fair housing, public accommodations, public education, asylum and refugee rights, and disability rights.

For more information about the Committee, see www.washlaw.org.

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