and the award goes to
ACLU GIVES AWARD TO DWT FOR DEFENSE OF L.A. ARTIST story // mark fefer art // cris gheorghiu
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n June 8th, the ACLU of Southern California presented Davis Wright Tremaine with its 2012 Artistic Freedom Award. Four DWT attorneys—Bob Corn-Revere along with associates Anna Buono, Rory Eastburg, and Carla Veltman—were honored at the ACLU’s 18th annual law luncheon.
They were recognized for their pro bono work on a remarkable case in which the city of Los Angeles attempted to enjoin a collection of alleged graffiti artists, and former graffiti artists, from exercising some basic rights. In a complaint originally filed in June 2010, the city attorney asked the court to impose a curfew on 10 named defendants and prohibit them from associating, possessing any “graffiti tool,” and being on certain public property (among other things). The complaint purported to target one of L.A.’s most visible graffiti crews, known as MTA. But it sought to impose special restraints on certain of the defendants who had left such activity behind to pursue careers as legitimate artists.