News & Events

The Federal Bar Council honored Joe Wayland as a "Hero of the Bar" on December 8 in recognition of his and the Firm's pro bono work on behalf of New York City school children. The firm has served as pro bono counsel for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity in its decade-long effort to ensure that the New York City public school system provides its student with the opportunity to obtain a constitutionally adequate education. In June 2003, the Court of Appeals issued its landmark decision declaring that the state education finance system failed to provide sufficient funding to the New York City public schools and ordered the Legislature to remedy this constitutional violation. When the Legislature failed to act, the trial commenced remedial proceedings that led to a finding in February 2005 requiring the State to ensure that annual funding for the operation of the New York City schools increases by $5.6 billion and that an additional $9 billion is provided to fund necessary capital improvements. That decision is now on appeal before the Appellate Division.