Kramer Levin Secures Victory for Pro Bono Client in New York Appellate Division First Department

On Oct. 28, 2021, Kramer Levin secured a victory in the Appellate Division First Department for a pro bono client in a criminal case. Together, associate Martin Ascher and special counsel Karen Steinberg Kennedy secured early termination of probation for a client who received an excessive sentence for drug possession. As part of its Racial Justice Initiative and working with partners at the Legal Aid Society, Kramer Levin submitted briefs and conducted oral argument in New York’s Appellate Division First Department.

Kramer Levin successfully argued that because this client had no previous or subsequent arrests and had already taken steps to reform his life, an additional year of probation beyond the statutory minimum was unnecessary, and that it would be in the interests of justice to reduce the length of his sentence. Litigation associate Martin Ascher argued the appeal in person in the First Department, which agreed and quickly reduced the sentence accordingly within two weeks.

Advocating for those given excessive sentences is at the core of Kramer Levin’s commitment to racial justice. The Racial Justice Initiative was launched in 2020, in order to demonstrate through concrete action the firm’s commitment to racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The firm’s Racial Justice Initiative encourages Kramer Levin attorneys and staff to pursue pro bono work focused on assisting communities that have historically been, and continue to be, adversely impacted by racism, including in the areas of voting rights, housing, civil rights, and the criminal justice system.

The Kramer Levin team was led by Martin Ascher and Litigation special counsel Karen Steinberg Kennedy, and included summer associate Alex Kronman, paralegal Angela Chan and several members of the Managing Attorney’s office.