Our Amicus Champions of Justice Awards are an annual celebration of the pro bono work that law firms and individual volunteers carry out to ensure justice in the US death penalty system. This year we have a new category ‘academic team’, so you can nominate an individual, law firm or academic team who has gone above and beyond in the name of justice. Featuring our Champions of Justice Awards, the launch of the Mark George KC Access to Justice Bursary, entertainment, champagne and a three-course dinner, this is set to be a night we won't forget.

Nominees and Winners

*winners in bold

Champions of Justice - Law Firm Category

Arthur Cox

CS Disco

Kingsley Napley

Milbank

Linklaters

Reed Smith

Champions of Justice - Academic Team Category

The City Law School

University of Law

Southampton University

Champions of Justice - Individual Category

Sherif Azer (Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms)

Daniel Leng (Metro Capital Defenders)

Pan Papakyprianou (Linklaters)

Amina Flynn and Eleanor Healy-Birt (Slaughter and May)

Andrew Lee Jones Award
Maddie Steele

Awards Selection Panel

Professor Robin Maher (Chair)

George Washington University, former Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and Amicus Patron

David Barnes

Chief Executive of Atkins Chambers and former Chair of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks

David Bentley QC

Doughty Street Chambers

Introducing our Voices of Justice, Champions of Justice Awards 2022 speakers: we are delighted to have mitigation specialist, Christy Dickerson, capital defence attorney, Shayla Galloway, and death row exoneree, Herman Lindsey, as our keynote speakers sharing their diverse experiences of the US capital punishment system.

Nominees and Winners

*winners in bold

Champions of Justice - Law Firm Category

Allen & Overy 

BCLP

Dentons

Kingsley Napley

Linklaters

Milbank

Reed Smith

Withers

Champions of Justice - Individual Category

Gabrielle Darden (Regional Conflict Counsel Region 1)

Stas Kuzmierkiewicz (Baker McKenzie)

Olivia Loxley (Linklaters LLP)

Andrew Lee Jones Award
Rebecca Greenhalgh

Awards Selection Panel

Professor Robin Maher (Chair)

George Washington University, former Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and Amicus Patron

David Barnes

Chief Executive of Atkins Chambers and former Chair of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks

David Bentley QC

Doughty Street Chambers

Join Amicus for our virtual GALA where we look at the future of Racial Justice and The Death Penalty, while celebrating Amicus Champions of Justice Awards, recognising the amazing work our supporters and affiliate firms have contributed to in this area. Henderson Hill, a leading figure in the defence of civil rights today and senior attorney at ACLU, in conversation with Robin Maher, internationally renowned death penalty expert and former Director of The American Bar Association (ABA) Death Penalty Representation Project. The event will also include the launch of the audiobook, If I Should Die, which features some very special guest voices including Olivier Award winner Jamie Parker,  and joining us live, director/actor, Ako Mitchell.

Nominees and Winners

*winners in bold

Champions of Justice - Law Firm Category

Arthur Cox

BCLP

Dentons

Milbank

Morgan Lewis

Shearman & Sterling

Champions of Justice - Individual Category

Claire Butler (Simmons & Simmons)

Maddie Steele (Unity Street Chambers)

Shelagh Kenney (Center for Death Penalty Litigation (CDPL))

Andrew Lee Jones Award
Tim Peterson

Awards Selection Panel

Professor Robin Maher (Chair)

George Washington University, former Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and Amicus Patron

David Barnes

Chief Executive of Atkins Chambers and former Chair of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks

David Bentley QC

Doughty Street Chambers

Leslie Thomas QC

Garden Court Chambers​​​​​​

40 Years To Freedom marks the release of Bobby Moore earlier this year after 40 years on Texas Death Row, and highlights the nature of the work of our lawyers and volunteers. We will kick off the event with an exciting live panel, whose members will be presenting their deeply personal and legal stories spanning 30 years of fighting for justice through the courts, up to the Supreme Court of the United States (twice). Supported by many teams of dedicated pro bono lawyers over the years, the panel will discuss what this seminal case meant to the people involved on the frontline and to Bobby himself. Not only was Bobby’s life saved and he was finally released, but the case, and the fight, created an instrumental change for those with an intellectual disability facing a death sentence in the USA. Hear these inspirational individual stories which are guaranteed to give you and your firm a pro bono morale boost. 

Nominees and Winners

*winners in bold

Champions of Justice - Law Firm Category

Arthur Cox

Eversheds Sutherland LLP

​​​​​​​Milbank

Champions of Justice - Individual Category

Linzi McDonald

Harrison Jowett

Poppy Mulligan

Andrew Lee Jones Award
Linzi McDonald

Awards Selection Panel

Bobby Moore

His case is the current leading Supreme Court of the United States ruling, saving many people facing the death penalty. Hear from the man behind the case, who spent 40 years on death row. Speaking live from Texas as a free man.

Cliff Sloan

The leading expert, famous for his constitutional and Supreme Court of the United States work and also represented Bobby Moore, author, attorney and passionate pro bono champion will talk to us about what it meant to work on Bobby's case.

Joanne Cross

Took over supporting Bobby after her mother, Bobby's penpal died. Fighting for Bobby her whole professional life, pushing his case forward, she will talk about the personal journey and their friendship.

Luke Varley

When he was sent by Amicus to TX in 2011 fresh out of law school, Luke would not have believed he would be representing that same death row inmate in the Supreme Court of the United States almost a decade later. Luke shares his amazing Amicus journey.

Please join Amicus on Thursday 7th November 2019 for the first annual celebration of our law firms and individual volunteers who work with us to ensure justice in the USA death penalty system. We will also be announcing the winners of our first Amicus Champion of Justice Awards, recognising and honouring the outstanding contributions to justice made by individuals and legal teams this year. 

This event will mark the launch of If I Should Die… A Death Row Correspondence by Jane Officer (Amicus founder). The moving story chronicles Jane’s letters with our namesake Andrew Lee Jones, executed in Louisiana in 1992. We can’t reveal any names yet, but previous hosts have included Sir Mark Rylance, Benjamin Zephaniah, P. D. James, Jamie Parker and Sister Helen Prejean. To set the tone we will be hosting you and your guests at the exclusive top floor of the historic Bush House. Boasting spectacular views over the river and London, the former home to the BBC.

Nominees and Winners

*winners in bold

Champions of Justice - Law Firm Category

Ashurst

Kingsley Napley

Linklaters

Champions of Justice - Individual Category

Paul Gill (Shearman & Stirling)

Julie Kidd (Pinsent Masons)

Andrew Lee Jones Award
Luke Varley

Awards Selection Panel

Professor Robin Maher (Chair)

George Washington University, former Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and Amicus Patron

David Barnes

Chief Executive of Atkins Chambers and former Chair of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks

David Bentley QC

Doughty Street Chambers

Professor Carolyn Hoyle

University of Oxford Centre for Criminology and former Centre Director

Leslie Thomas QC

Joint Head of Garden Court Chamber