Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is proud to announce that Jonathan Marvisi, an associate in its Litigation Department, is the recipient of the 2022 Jeffrey S. Rugg Pro Bono Award. The award is presented annually to a Brownstein individual or team who has provided exemplary and meaningful pro bono work.
Marvisi, captain of the firm’s Pro Bono Immigration Team, was recognized for his role advising firm attorneys in numerous pro bono immigration cases in addition to taking on many matters himself. Additionally, he headed the firm’s partnership with PARS Equality Center’s Afghan Support Project. When violence in Afghanistan escalated in 2021 and hundreds of thousands of Afghans were displaced, Brownstein stepped in to be part of the solution and help refugees escape from the dangerous and dire circumstances in their country. Marvisi trained and advised numerous Brownstein teams that submitted over 130 emergency humanitarian parole applications to the United States Citizen and Immigration Services on behalf of Afghan refugees.
In addition to his invaluable role spearheading the Afghan Support Project, Marvisi was the lead trial lawyer working with D.C. Shareholder Russ Sullivan and Pro Bono Partner Martha Fitzgerald in successfully defeating deportation of a deserving refugee from Sierra Leone, who most likely would have been assassinated immediately upon return to the country.
“Jonathan has worked selflessly on behalf of the firm’s pro bono clients and truly exemplifies our core values of All In and Giving Back,” said Fitzgerald. “We’re proud to honor him with the 2022 Jeffrey S. Rugg Award.”
In 2018, Brownstein named its Pro Bono Awards to commemorate Jeffrey S. Rugg, a Las Vegas shareholder and tireless pro bono advocate, who passed away in 2017. The award honors his legacy and commitment to pro bono work.