Public Invited to Ceremony in Charlottesville on April 26
Richmond, VA- ACLU of Virginia Board Member David P. Baugh will be the recipient of the Virginia State Bar’s prestigious Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Pro Bono Award.
Baugh was selected for his pro bono representation of numerous First Amendment cases, his zealous defense of indigent criminal defendants in complex court-appointed cases for nominal compensation, and his dedication to training other members of the defense bar through continuing legal education.
Baugh was named a “Human Rights Hero” by the American Bar Association for his representation of Ku Klux Klan member Barry Elton Black who was charged with a felony for burning a cross at a 1998 Klan rally, even though it took place on private property with the permission of the owner. In this ACLU of Virginia case, Baugh, who is African-American, took his defense of Black’s free speech rights to the U.S. Supreme Court and prevailed.
“When representatives of the Klan asked us to defend their right to burn a cross, we thought it would be impossible to find pro bono representation,” said ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis. “Knowing David and his passion for the First Amendment, though, we shouldn't have been surprised when he was the first lawyer to offer to help.”
Charlottesville attorney Steven D. Rosenfield, who has worked with Baugh on pro bono civil litigation, nominated him for the award. “David has been a mentor and hero to countless criminal defense lawyers in Virginia since he moved here to practice criminal defense and civil rights law,” wrote Rosenfield.
Rosenfield, who regularly provides pro bono representation in ACLU cases, is a past recipient of the award. John Levy, who has served on the ACLU of Virginia Board continuously since the late 1960s, has also received the award
Baugh is a graduate of Virginia State University and what is now the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston. He is a former assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Eastern District of Texas.
The award will be presented on April 26 at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, during the annual Virginia State Bar Pro Bono Conference.
Anyone interested in attending should call Mrs. Harvey at the Virginia State Bar at 804-775-0548.
Contact: Kent Willis, (office) 804/644-8022