The American Constitution Society Recognizes WilmerHale with a Public Service Award

  • 9.16.2010
At the American Constitution Society's (ACS), Boston Lawyer Chapter, Third Annual Constitution Day Celebration WilmerHale was recognized for its long-standing commitment to public and pro bono service. The WilmerHale Boumediene team received an award from the legal organization for being a leader in pro bono representation on important constitutional rights issues.

The ACS specifically recognized a team of WilmerHale attorneys for their representation of the petitioners in Boumediene v. Bush to successfully secure justice for inmates at Guantanamo Bay. Their representation led to the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the part of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 that sought to strip the federal courts of habeas corpus jurisdiction over petitioners imprisoned at the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay. The decision was the first time in US history that the Court held that an act of Congress violated the Suspension Clause of the Constitution.