To increase public safety and secure your rights and freedoms, the Firm has been working on meaningful criminal justice reform since it was founded in 2003.
Most recently, we worked with an informal group of former federal prosecutors and senior government officials to get federal criminal justice reform legislation passed into law:
- First Step Act of 2018—became Public Law No: 115-391 on December 21, 2018. Greg Mitchell was in the Oval Office when President Donald J. Trump signed the bill into law.
To get this bill to the President’s desk, we worked to get the evolving versions passed through the House and Senate.
- S. 756, First Step Act of 2018:
- On December 20, 2018, the House passed this bill on a motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to S. 756. Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays (2/3 required): 358 – 36 (Roll No. 448).
- On December 18, 2018, the House amendment to S. 756 passed the Senate with an amendment (SA 4108) by Yea-Nay Vote. 87 – 12. Record Vote Number: 271.
- H.R. 5682, FIRST STEP Act:
- On May 22, 2018, this bill passed the House on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 360 – 59 (Roll no. 215).
- On May 9, 2018, this bill passed the House Judiciary Committee (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 – 5.
Prior to this work, we were instrumental in getting the following criminal justice reform bills passed and signed into law:
- The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010
- To restore fairness to Federal cocaine sentencing.
- Signed into law by President Barack Obama on August 3, 2010, and became Public Law 111-220.
- The Second Chance Act of 2007: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention
- To reauthorize the grant program for reentry of offenders into the community in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, to improve reentry planning and implementation, and for other purposes.
- Signed into law by President George W. Bush on April 9, 2008, and became Public Law 110-199.
