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  4. LEGAL ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR 2017
LEGAL ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR 2017

LEGAL ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR 2017


Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom, LLC

In recognition of its ongoing commitment to representing capital defendants with intellectual disability, The Arc is honoring the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom, LLP. In particular, The Arc recognizes the Skadden law firm for its representation of Bobby James Moore before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016. The case resulted in a victory for people with disabilities in rejecting the state of Texas’ use of stereotypical and outdated factors—rather than well-established clinical standards—to determine intellectual disability in death penalty cases on the grounds that they “create an unacceptable risk that persons with intellectual disability will be executed.” This is an outcome for which The Arc has long advocated and strengthens the Court’s previous opinions (Atkins v. Virginia and Hall v. Florida) that establish and clarify the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on executing capital defendants with intellectual disability.

Bobby Moore and others with intellectual disability who are facing death row are among the most vulnerable and forgotten in the criminal justice system – we thank Skadden for its commitment to vigorously representing these clients. When it comes to matters of life and death, there is simply no room for courts to ground their determinations of intellectual disability in outmoded and baseless stereotypes.

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