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Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) is pleased to announce that Theodore A. Howard, Pro Bono Partner at Wiley Rein LLP, will be honored with the Outstanding Legal Advocacy Award at DRM’s Breaking Barriers Awards Gala on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) in Baltimore, Maryland.

This prestigious award recognizes attorneys and law firms who have shown exceptional dedication to advancing disability rights and promoting equal access to justice through pro bono work.

For two years, Ted Howard donated his time and expertise to representing DRM in a lawsuit against Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). The court ruled in favor of DRM this March, affirming DRM’s right to access contact information for parents and guardians of students with disabilities who may have faced educational neglect and disproportionate exclusionary discipline based on disability and race.

DRM’s Legal Director, Megan Berger, said: “DRM was tremendously fortunate to work with Ted Howard on this case. His wise counsel, unparalleled expertise, collegiality and dedication to the cause were exceptional and indispensable to securing this important victory.”  

Thanks to Ted’s commitment to this case, DRM is able investigate whether students of color with disabilities were subject to educational neglect and illegally received harmful and unequal disciplinary actions. Additionally, the decision establishes a powerful precedent, supporting the nationwide network of Protection & Advocacy organizations to access public school student and parent/guardian contact information in certain circumstances to investigate abuse and neglect and identify cases of discriminatory policies and practices.

To learn more about DRM’s Breaking Barriers Awards Gala, visit DisabilityRightsMD.org/Breaking-Barriers-Gala.

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About Theodore A. Howard:

Ted Howard is the fulltime Pro Bono Partner at Wiley Rein LLP in Washington., D.C., where he oversees administration of the 250-lawyer firm’s Pro Bono Program, while also maintaining an active caseload representing individuals and groups of clients in civil rights, family law, housing, immigration, and public benefits matters. Ted is currently the Chair of the D.C. Circuit Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, and Co-Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance. He served on the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense from 2015 to 2021, including three years as Chair, and the Board of Governors of the District of Columbia Bar from 2016 to 2022. He has been honored for his pro bono contributions by the Legal Aid Society of D.C., with its Servant of Justice Award in 2006, and by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, with its Wiley A. Branton Award in 2015. Ted is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Law School.

Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) is excited to announce that Rebecca Cokley will receive the prestigious Judith Heumann Champion of Justice Award at DRM’s Breaking Barriers Awards Gala on September 20, 2023 at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

The award, established in 2020, recognizes Judith Heumann’s remarkable lifelong achievements and her legacy as one of the world’s most influential disability rights activists. DRM presents this award to exceptional individuals who have dedicated their lives to advocating for disability rights and other intersecting civil rights movements.

Rebecca Cokley, a second-generation little person and three-time presidential appointee, has championed inclusive policies and challenged systemic barriers within the federal government, non-profit, and private sectors throughout her distinguished career. This esteemed award recognizes her contributions to the disability rights movement and her relentless pursuit of equity and inclusion.

Similar to Judith, Rebecca is an innovator who pushes boundaries and follows her vision. Her accomplishments include coordinating the first-ever White House Black History Month event for disability communities and initiating the first LGBTQIA+/Disability Pride Month event. She co-founded the Disability Justice Initiative (DJI), which is the first disability policy shop in a progressive think tank at the Center for American Progress.

In 2021, Rebecca joined the Ford Foundation as a program officer for their first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program. The program focuses on strengthening the disability field, cultivating diverse leadership, advancing economic security for people with disabilities, integrating disability rights into social justice movements, promoting disability pride and mobilizing resources for disability rights work.

Rebecca embodies and continues to champion the values and spirit that Judith Heumann infused into the disability rights movement.

To learn more about DRM’s Breaking Barriers Awards Gala, visit DisabilityRightsMD.org/Breaking-Barriers-Gala.

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About Rebecca Cokley:

Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, Rebecca was the cofounder and director of the Disability Justice initiative at the Center for American Progress, where she built out a progressive policy platform that protected the rights and services disabled people depend on for survival and also developed innovative solutions like a proposed disabled worker tax credit and increased access to capital for disability-owned small businesses. She also stewarded a campaign that resulted in an unprecedented 12 presidential candidates developing disability policy platforms.

Prior to her work at American Progress, she served as the executive director for the National Council on Disability, where she worked on sexual violence on college campuses, policing reform, and the civil rights of disabled parents. A three-time presidential appointee, Rebecca served in key policy roles at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts for the Obama administration.

Rebecca is a frequent speaker and contributor on issues of public policy and disability inclusion in the media and at major national conferences. She has a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.