2 minute read
Ed Cassidy, 2023 Distinguished Service Award
Prior to joining Fredrikson in 2009, Edward “Ed” Cassidy was committed to pro bono service, including acting as Guardian ad litem for children in foster care. Upon joining Fredrikson, Ed soon learned about the firm’s work representing Damon Thibodeaux, an inmate on death row in Louisiana. Within a few months, Ed asked the firm to take a second case through Fredrikson’s longtime partner, the Capital Post-Conviction Project of Louisiana, now known as the Mwalimu Center for Justice, with Ed leading a team. The firm agreed, and Ed’s legacy as an advocate for individuals on death row began. Ed’s first case was that of Michael Wearry, a young man whose story is highlighted in the first chapter. As he built a team for the case, Ed also committed himself to learning this new-to-him area of law, attending training through the American Bar Association’s Death Penalty Project, working with experts in the field and building relationships with co-counsel and investigators in Louisiana. Ed’s work and dedication brought him back to Louisiana this past spring to see Michael Wearry walk out of prison after 25 years. In addition to his work on Michael’s case, Ed also agreed to participate in two other cases, one of which has been scheduled for oral argument before the Louisiana Supreme Court, something that has not been granted since the 1980s.
