Uncommon and Public Interest Cases

We were often asked to resolve problems that involved unusual facts, novel legal issues, unanswered constitutional questions, or matters of significance from a public policy standpoint. We prided ourselves on our willingness and ability to undertake such cases, oftentimes on a pro bono basis. 

For instance, in 1990, we filed the country's first "civil murder case" in which we accused the husband of murdering his wife even though he was never prosecuted criminally.  The Atlanta media covered the case extensively, referring to it among other things as “Atlanta’s greatest who-done it.”  After a trial lasting nearly a month that dominated Atlanta area media, the jury concluded the husband was legally responsible, and, as a result, he was barred from recovering her life insurance or inheriting her property. Her assets instead went to her other family members, who were our clients.

Throughout our history, we were involved in major political litigation. Our lawyers represented political figures and their campaigns in legal matters, including United States Senators, members of the United States House of Representatives, a Georgia governor, and two Atlanta mayors. We also handled numerous constitutional cases involving voting rights and related issues.

Other examples of our uncommon or public interest cases include:

• A member of the Ku Klux Klan mounted an aggressive effort in federal court to obtain confidential information about a prominent civil rights lawyer and the Southern Poverty Law Center. We thwarted his efforts by proving the information would be used to threaten the safety of Klan opponents.
• We defended the National Women's Health Network against a claim that its work had damaged the business of a major corporation. The court dismissed the case, finding that the lawsuit was intended to chill speech protected by the First Amendment.
• We handled several death-penalty cases.  In one, we represented a long term death row inmate.  After proving there was probable cause he was mentally retarded, we convinced the prosecutor to withdraw his death sentence in exchange for life imprisonment.  The inmate was later released on parole.  In other case, we defended a death penalty defendant at trial who was convicted after refusing to cooperate with his defense.
• Our firm was asked by an unsuccessful candidate to challenge the election results on the grounds of fraud and other wrongdoing. At trial, the judge ordered a new election.  His decision was affirmed by the Georgia Supreme Court.
• We successfully defended the National Organization of Women and its president against defamation claims brought by a website operator who was said to target by name doctors performing abortions and encourage violence against them.
• In January 2001, we filed a federal lawsuit challenging the voting machinery used in Georgia, which experienced a higher error rate than that used in Florida in the 2000 Presidential election. After the state adopted a single statewide system of electronic voting, partially in reaction to our efforts, we dismissed the suit.
• On behalf of a state legislator who was thinking of running for federal office, we successfully challenged a Georgia campaign finance law prohibiting legislators from raising money while the legislature was in session.
• Our client's mother reportedly committed suicide in the 1950s. New evidence convinced our client that she may have been murdered. Over objections that took the case to the Georgia Supreme Court, we obtained an order exhuming the body for forensic examination.  The results of the examination were inconclusive.