Cleary Gottlieb Honored for Defending Transgender Community Rights

Cleary Gottlieb’s pro bono work defending the rights of transgender individuals has been recognized at the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Freedom Awards.

Cleary was honored for its work with TLDEF including filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Gavin Grimm, a transgender 17 year old from Virginia who is challenging the Gloucester County School Board’s policy prohibiting transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, and representing a transgender doctor who was discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve in his administrative challenge to the U.S. Army’s request for reimbursement of his education grant.

The firm has a longstanding partnership with TLDEF and regularly partners with the organization on pro bono matters for transgender individuals. Howard Zelbo accepted the award on behalf of Cleary at a ceremony in New York.