It’s February 2026 — and it already feels like a long year. What we have endured since August 2025 with the administration’s takeover of the District of Columbia has been replicated in Chicago, Charlotte, and now Minneapolis. We have plummeted to a new nadir, where armed immigration agents are killing U.S. citizens in broad daylight with impunity.
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota and civil rights prosecutors in Washington, D.C. have resigned en masse in the aftermath of the U.S. Justice Department’s refusal to investigate the fatal shooting of Renee Good. Meanwhile, the administration seeks to force Minnesota and other states to turn over detailed information about voter rolls.
These challenging times are a reminder that our civil rights are not self-sustaining.
And yet … 60 days into the administration’s siege, thousands of Minnesotans continue to show up every day, braving subzero temperatures, to peacefully protest while taking care of their immigrant neighbors.
We’ve seen this same kind of love and justice in action in D.C.: residents accompanying children to and from school, delivering groceries to immigrant families, standing guard outside church food pantries, peacefully marching against the surge of immigration agents and deployment of National Guard troops.
The citizens of Minnesota and D.C. are showing us what it means to protect our neighbors, to defend our democracy, and to uphold civil rights.
At the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, we remain intent on achieving justice, accountability, and change — for our clients and our communities throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Thank you for being with us in this fight — for our neighbors, our communities, our country, and our democracy.
Together For Justice,
Joanne Lin
Executive Director
Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
This Black History Month, all of us at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) acknowledge that this has been a devastating time for Black communities in the Greater Washington, DC region and across the country.
At the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, we’re standing with our clients against threats to Black communities, while at the same time fighting for racial and economic justice:
Protecting Black students’ First Amendment rights by challenging Confederate-named public schools in Virginia.
Securing the transfer of the Proud Boys’ trademark to the historic Metropolitan AME Church in D.C. after a violent attack.
Opening the doors to affordable housing for Black D.C. residents.
Holding Meta accountable for digital redlining in online education advertising.
Defending humanitarian protections for Cameroonians facing deportation.
2026 Wiley A. Branton Award to Honor Former DOJ Civil Rights Division Career Public Servants
The Wiley A. Branton Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC), recognizing extraordinary leadership and outstanding contributions to civil rights and equal justice.
In May, WLC will present the Branton Award to former career public servants of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Next year marks 70 years since the Civil Rights Division was established. On the eve of that anniversary, the WLC will — for the first time — give the Branton Award not to an individual but to a group of lawyers, reflecting the collective and often unseen public service that has advanced civil rights protections across decades of administrations of both parties.
The Civil Rights Division was created in 1957 under President Dwight Eisenhower to enforce federal civil rights laws. For generations, career public servants have carried out this work in a professional, fair, and apolitical manner. Recently, the Division has faced unprecedented departures, but these individuals have continued to stand up for the mission of the Division.
WLC invites you to join us in honoring these former public servants for their enduring commitment to the Constitution’s promise of equal justice.
2026 Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Time: 12 noon (Luncheon Program & Awards Presentation)
Location: The Westin DC Downtown, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, DC
Disability Rights Maryland Lawsuit Moves Forward
In early 2025, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) and Wiley Rein, representing Disability Rights Maryland (DRM), filed litigation in pursuit of constitutional vindication for defendants found incompetent to stand trial (IST).
The suit alleges that the Maryland Health Department has neglected its obligations to care for IST defendants who have been deemed dangerous to themselves, others, or property. Instead of promptly admitting IST defendants to healthcare facilities for treatment and competency restoration services (as required by law), Maryland has kept some individuals in criminal detention centers for extended periods of time. DRM seeks to bring Maryland into compliance by aligning its practices with statutory and constitutional requirements for those with mental illness or intellectual disabilities that affect their competency.
In November 2025, the Court denied Maryland’s motion to dismiss, and the case is proceeding.
New Lawsuit: High Suicide Rate at Harford County (MD) Jail
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee, alongside the ACLU of Maryland and Mayer Brown LLP, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging a deadly pattern of abuse at the Harford County (MD) Detention Center.
The case documents at least 20 incidents of suicide and self-harm, driven by unconstitutional conditions, deliberate indifference to mental health crises, and the punishment of people who have not been convicted of any crime.
We are proud to have filed this case on behalf of Charles Morris and the Harford County Branch of the NAACP, who are demanding accountability, systemic reform, and safeguards that protect human life.
Challenging Dangerous Conditions at Federal Prison
In 2025, WLC and Shook, Hardy & Bacon filed a class action lawsuit challenging severe and dangerous drinking water contamination at the Coleman II federal prison in Florida.
The tap water at the prison is polluted with illness-causing contaminants and often appears brown, yellow, or green. Prisoners have suffered diarrhea, stomach pains, headaches, dizziness, rashes, and fatigue. Our suit alleges that these conditions violate the Safe Water Drinking Act and the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Joe Davis is a litigation partner with Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP. His practice focuses on representing corporations and individuals in proceedings before federal and state courts, bankruptcy courts, and other tribunals; conducting internal investigations; and providing litigation and litigation risk counseling. (See his full profile here.)
Joe recently concluded a two-year term as board co-chair of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC). During this period, Joe played a pivotal role in the development of the 2024 strategic plan, including WLC’s first financial plan. Along with fellow board co-chairs Avis Buchanan and Claudia Withers, Joe has helped to steer WLC through a period of planned transition in senior leadership staff, while adroitly navigating a rapidly changing civil rights landscape in the greater Washington, D.C. region.
In addition, Joe has spearheaded a long-established, highly successful Willkie fellowship program by loaning experienced Willkie associates as full-time litigators to WLC for a period of several months. In 2025, two Willkie fellows worked side by side with WLC litigators on a wide swath of cutting-edge civil rights matters, including education equity, racial justice, religious freedom, and immigrant justice cases.
“Joe Davis has been a board chair nonpareil,” says Joanne Lin, WLC executive director. “By example and by appeal, Joe has helped to transform the board of directors into an actively engaged board that partners in critical civil rights litigation, generously supports the staff, and promotes our work across the Washington, D.C. law firm community.”
Melissa Colon, a litigation associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, recently concluded nine months as a full-time fellow at Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC). During her fellowship, Melissa worked on a range of civil-rights cases spanning education equity, racial justice, immigrant justice, and religious freedom. She had the opportunity to engage in nearly every stage of public-interest litigation — from client outreach and drafting complaints, to responding to dispositive motions, navigating discovery and depositions, and culminating in a week-long trial in December 2025.
Immigrant justice/religious freedom: Melissa was part of the litigation team that challenged the Department of Homeland Security policy of conducting immigration arrests and surveillance at churches and places of worship. The coalition of plaintiffs included Lutheran congregations, Baptist churches, and Quaker assemblies across the country. Melissa met with potential plaintiffs, drafted declarations, and contributed to the preparation of the complaint and accompanying request for emergency relief.
Education equity: Melissa worked on a national lawsuit on behalf of the Equal Rights Center (ERC) alleging that discriminatory advertising practices on social media platforms disproportionately steered ads for for-profit colleges to Black users while directing ads for public nonprofit colleges to white users, in violation of D.C. civil-rights and consumer-protection laws. Melissa worked on ERC’s response to a motion to dismiss, which was denied in late 2025, allowing the case to proceed.
Racial justice: Melissa was a crucial part of the litigation team challenging the Shenandoah County (VA) school board’s 2024 reinstatement of Confederate general names to two public schools. She defended the deposition of a developmental-behavioral pediatrician who provided an expert report and testimony on the physiological and psychological harms to Black students caused by repeated exposure to racist symbols. Melissa also drafted a motion to compel the production of documents, defended the deposition of a student plaintiff, and assisted with all aspects of trial preparation. This landmark racial justice lawsuit culminated in a week-long federal trial in Harrisonburg (VA) in December 2025.
Reflecting on her WLC fellowship, Melissa shares, “I was continually impressed by the WLC staff — their collaboration, thoughtfulness, and commitment to clients. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from their litigation strategy, client-centered approach, and mission-driven framework.”
Amir Wright is a Litigation Associate at Willkie. He previously served as a judicial clerk at the U.S. Dist. Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Amir is a graduate of Stanford Law School (JD) and U.C. Berkeley (BA).
As an Associate Trustee of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC), Amir is part of a pro bono team working on a major housing accessibility case.
“I have long held issues of systemic injustice, accessibility, and especially affordable housing close to my heart. WLC is the premier public interest law organization on the forefront of these issues and so many others — I count myself fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with them.”
Tola Oyeyemi, a workers’ rights attorney, focuses on providing legal guidance and representation to low-wage workers. She manages the Workers’ Rights Clinic, which provides free brief legal services to workers on wage theft, sexual harassment, retaliatory termination, and other issues.
Tola previously worked as an associate at Handley Farah & Anderson, litigating cases involving exploited foreign labor, housing discrimination, wage theft, antitrust, and consumer class action issues. Tola also previously served as a judicial clerk at the Court of International Trade.
Tola is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Georgetown School of Foreign Service.
Registration is now open for the 2026 Wiley Branton Awards Luncheon. Individual tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available for this annual event honoring leadership and service in civil rights.
Sponsorships are offered at multiple levels and include recognition across event materials, as well as reserved seating and table options.
Full details on ticketing and sponsorship opportunities are available through the registration link.
Coming Down the Pike
So Many Ways to Stand With Us!
Your support powers the Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s work across the region—from living rooms to courtrooms.
Feb. 2 – Apr. 10: Associates’ Campaign
Mar. 12: House Party – West End, NW, DC
Apr. 18: House Party – Bethesda, MD May 21: WLC to be honored at Council on Court Excellence gala May 27: 2026Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon
Board Co-Chairs Joseph Davis (Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP) Avis Buchanan (retired)
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs works to create legal, economic, and social equity for low-income marginalized communities in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and across the country. We partner with individuals and communities facing discrimination and with the legal community to achieve justice. We bring strategic litigation to advance fair housing, disability rights, education equity, workers’ rights, immigrant justice, women’s rights, and criminal legal system reform.
