Cravath Publicizes $6 Million Donation to Assist Civil Rights, Authorized Companies and Schooling

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE) – Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP announced today that it has donated a total of US $ 6 million to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Equal Justice Initiative (“EJI”), the EJI’s Legacy Museum, Fisk University and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil will donate rights under the law (“National Legal Committee”).

The donation is funded by attorney fees awarded to Cravath following one of the firm’s key pro bono affairs, a nearly 40-year commitment to representing African American and women plaintiffs in labor discrimination litigation in Jefferson County, Alabama. The case was filed by the NAACP in 1974 and Cravath acted as the plaintiff in 1983 at the request of the National Lawyers’ Committee.

“As we reflect on the culmination of our four decades of efforts to deliver on the promise of civil rights reform in Jefferson County, Alabama, we feel privileged to continue that commitment by supporting the work of each of these remarkable organizations,” said Faiza J Saeed, Cravath’s chairing partner.

“EJI, the Legacy Museum, the National Lawyers Committee, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute continue the civil rights movement’s mission and the pursuit of justice in both Alabama and nationally. Fisk University, one of the most historically significant black colleges and universities in the country, trains the leaders of the future, ”she said.

Generations of Cravath have contributed more than 100,000 hours to the event to create a better future for the people of Jefferson County. “I was honored to lead this work as a Cravath Partner for 25 years before joining the bank, and it remains one of the most significant cases I have worked on as a practicing attorney. It is very gratifying to see that it ends with a level of justice achieved in Jefferson County, and testament to the firm’s longstanding dedication to pro bono work and the difference it can make in progress and reform, ” said Rowan D. Wilson, associate judge on the New York State Court of Appeals.

With support from Fisk University, Cravath strengthens a relationship that has lasted more than a century. In 2019, Cravath and Fisk launched the Cravath Scholars program to support high-performing students in various disciplines at the university. Scholarship holders are supported with study grants and a summer internship in Cravath’s New York office, which includes training and mentoring opportunities.

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP was founded in 1819 and is recognized as one of the world’s leading law firms. The firm has 476 lawyers in New York City and London.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Founded in 1992, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and a subsidiary of the Smithsonian Institution, is a cultural and educational research center promoting understanding of the importance of civil rights development in Birmingham, Alabama.

Equal Justice Initiative and the Legacy Museum

Founded in 1989, the Equal Justice Initiative works to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment, combat racial and economic injustice, and protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable in our society. In 2018, EJI opened the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration at its base in Montgomery, Alabama to both address the legacy of slavery and serve as an engine for educating people about racial inequality.

Fish University

Founded shortly after the end of the Civil War, Fisk University is one of the historically black colleges in the country and the oldest college in Nashville. Committed to the success of academics and leaders from diverse backgrounds, Fisk produces graduates with the integrity and intellect necessary to make a significant contribution to society.

The Civil Rights Lawyers’ Committee by law

Founded in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to harness the leadership and resources of the Private Bar to combat racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of opportunity, the Legal Committee for Civil Rights Under Law focuses on ensuring equal justice for all through statute The Law.