An article published in the Daily Report details WilmerHale’s representation of the NAACP in its legal fight to remove a century-old, three-stories high monument to the Confederacy, topped by a statue of a Confederate soldier, that stands in front of the county courthouse in Graham, North Carolina. In their appellate brief, WilmerHale lawyers seek a remand of the case to the trial court, arguing that the lower court erred in granting the county’s request for summary judgment by relying on a state statute that violates North Carolina’s Constitution. The article also highlights another major law firm’s representation of the county in defending the controversial monument.
Excerpt: “The NAACP and others, represented by Wilmer and two smaller North Carolina firms, said the statue was intentionally placed in its current location in 1914 ‘because it conveyed to Black residents that the court system was white-controlled’ and because it was near a main entrance to the county courthouse the structure ‘deprives residents of a judicial system that appears impartial,’ according to court documents."
The WilmerHale team representing the NAACP includes Ron Machen, Karin Dryhurst, Natalie Bilbrough and Mark Fleming.