Election Protection is a nationwide nonpartisan coalition, spearheaded by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, working to ensure that every voter is able to exercise their right to vote. In conversation with Damon Hewitt, Executive Vice President, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Proskauer pro bono partner Bill Silverman says, “Supporting impactful and important programs like Election Protection helps people who might otherwise be disenfranchised have their voices heard, and their votes counted.” Watch the video below where we had the chance to connect with Bill and Damon on this unprecedented election and our joined efforts to amplify voices and voters this season:

Bill Silverman: At Proskauer, we’ve been committed to election protection for the past 14 years because we believe voting is among the most fundamental rights that we have as Americans.

Damon Hewitt: We also believe that all of America benefits from our work because our theory is that we are strengthening democracy by making sure that people who are often relegated to the margins actually have opportunity and can exercise their voice to make sure that their votes matter and that their very vitality actually matters in this election and beyond.

Bill Silverman: This is certainly an unprecedented election season.  Voting rights are more front and center than ever. Voters are facing voter purges, strict ID laws, insufficient polling places, and we know that communities of color and people of limited means are most impacted.

Damon Hewitt: Too often we’re seeing new obstacles being erected, especially in the age of COVID, when there’s so much confusion and so much chaos.  And the coalition is impactful because we literally help people cast ballots when they otherwise may have been barred from doing so.

Bill Silverman: Supporting impactful and important programs like Election Protection helps people who might otherwise be disenfranchised have their voices heard, and their votes counted.

Damon Hewitt: We couldn’t do this work without the amazing partnership with firms like Proskauer. We know that the energy that you bring, the lens that you bring is so critical; that it’s more than just charity or service; that you’re really, essentially, redefining what it means to be leaders in the bar by the work that you’re doing.  And so, we so appreciate Proskauer’s efforts.  We couldn’t do it without you.

Posted in Corporate Social Responsibility, Voting Rights
Tags: Election, Election Day, Election protection, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, right to vote, voter protection, voter rights, voter suppression, voters
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Photo of William C. Silverman William C. Silverman

William C. Silverman is a partner responsible for leading Proskauer’s global pro bono efforts, which provide assistance to individual clients and nonprofit organizations in litigation as well as transactional matters. He focuses on identifying and securing pro bono opportunities and partnerships for Proskauer …

William C. Silverman is a partner responsible for leading Proskauer’s global pro bono efforts, which provide assistance to individual clients and nonprofit organizations in litigation as well as transactional matters. He focuses on identifying and securing pro bono opportunities and partnerships for Proskauer lawyers and ensuring widespread participation in these projects.

Bill has robust private and public sector experience and a strong criminal and civil background. He has worked extensively on government investigations and white collar criminal matters, as well as complex civil litigation in federal and state courts. He also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he led criminal investigations, conducted trials and handled Second Circuit appeals.

Throughout his career, Bill has dedicated himself to the promotion of equal access to justice through pro bono service, particularly in the areas of family court, anti-trafficking, and criminal reentry.

Bill served as lead counsel on behalf of three legal services organizations challenging New York State’s “Host Homes” regulations, which created an unauthorized shadow foster care system. In a unanimous decision, the New York Court of Appeals struck down the regulations for failure to provide important safeguards, including appointment of counsel and judicial oversight. Bill also co-authored a groundbreaking report for the New York City Bar Association and the Fund For Modern Courts on how COVID-19 impacted the New York City Family Court. Bill is currently serving as co-chair of the Court Modernization Action Committee (CMAC), a working group of judicial, bar, and community leaders formed to support and advise the New York State Court System in implementing technology to increase efficiency and enhance equal access to justice. He also serves on New York’s Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts.

Bill serves as counsel to the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition. In that capacity he has been a strong advocate for changes in the law and public policy to protect victims of human trafficking and bring perpetrators to justice. He also represents individual clients in this area, including a successful federal lawsuit brought on behalf of a trafficking victim against her traffickers. For his work, he was named by domestic violence nonprofit Sanctuary For Families as one of “New York’s New Abolitionists.”

Bill has been recognized for his public service with the James Duane Award from the Bench and Bar of the Southern District of New York (2026); the Abely Pro Bono Leadership Award from Sanctuary For Families and Columbia Law School (2019); the Special Leadership Award for All-Around Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility & the Law from City & State Reports (2015); the Commitment to Justice Award for Outstanding Partner from inMotion (2008); and the Matthew G. Leonard Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement from MFY Legal Services (2007).

Outside of his work at the Firm, Bill serves on various not-for-profit boards. Bill is chair of RISE Partnership, an organization dedicated to ensuring the successful reentry of men and women on federal supervised release, and formerly served as chair of the Fund for Modern Courts, a nonpartisan citizen organization devoted to improving the New York State courts.

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