Akin Pro Bono Efforts Help Secure Posthumous Pardon for Civil Rights Activist Marcus Garvey
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(Washington, D.C.) – In one of the final acts of his presidency, former President Joe Biden issued a posthumous pardon for civil rights activist Marcus Garvey. The pardon was granted more than a hundred years after Garvey was convicted of mail fraud, following a trial that was widely seen as flawed. Working with Garvey’s family, an Akin team engaged in more than a decade of advocacy to right this historical wrong.
Tony Pierce, the partner in charge of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, led the pro bono representation of the Garvey family, spearheading the process of filing petitions for a presidential pardon with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations.
In an interview with Axios on the firm’s efforts through multiple administrations to secure Garvey’s pardon Pierce said, “The family has been advocating for this since the 1980s, and I first got involved during the Bush administration...This is more than a legal victory—it recognizes Garvey's monumental contribution to civil rights." Hours after the pardon was issued Pierce told The New York Times "The country knows how to fix a wrong” and has “done the right thing by Marcus Garvey.”
“Marcus Garvey’s legacy has been restored by the tireless work of Akin’s cross-practice effort involving a team that shared a commitment to the pursuit of justice, more than a hundred years after the justice system failed Garvey,” said Akin partner Steven Schulman, head of the firm’s pro bono practice. “This significant achievement is the result of tireless dedication to the cause.”
In addition to Pierce, the Akin team included lobbying & public policy senior advisor Virgil Miller, senior counsel Reggie Babin and litigation counsel Miranda Dore. Since 2008, Akin has devoted in excess of 1500 hours to this matter, involving more than 35 members of the firm.
Akin is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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