Brown, Goldstein & Levy attorneys Jessie Weber and Jamie Strawbridge, and legal assistant/paralegal Kayle Hill attended the 2024 Breaking Barriers Awards Gala, hosted by Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) at the American Visionary Arts Museum on September 26. The annual gala is DRM’s signature celebration to honor visionary leaders who further the rights of Marylanders with disabilities. The event raises money to support Marylanders with disabilities seeking access to critical legal services. This year’s gala was particularly special, as Jessie was introduced as the incoming board president of DRM.
BGL proudly sponsored this year’s gala, honoring a long-time tradition of sponsorship and support for the event, DRM’s work, and our shared mission of uplifting people with disabilities across the state. As attorneys, Jessie and Jamie are fierce advocates for people with disabilities across the United States. Jessie has served on the DRM board since 2021. At BGL, Jessie uses her expertise in civil rights law to guide her clients in a range of legal issues, including disability rights. Jamie is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney who has taken on complex and high-impact disability rights cases since joining BGL in 2020. In her role as a legal assistant/paralegal, Kayle is instrumental in ensuring our attorneys are best equipped to obtain justice for their clients. Kayle is a passionate disability rights advocate, whether supporting attorneys on a case or in her spare time.
This year’s gala honored four award winners for their advocacy and leadership in advancing disability rights in Maryland. Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator for Illinois, received the Judith Heumann Champion of Justice Award, and Clarence Lam, Maryland state senator, received the Public Policy Leadership Award. Liz Bowie, education reporter for The Baltimore Banner, received the Excellence in Journalism Award. Lastly, the law firm of Mayer Brown received the Outstanding Legal Advocacy Award.
BGL is a national leader in breaking down barriers faced by people with disabilities across the country. We are proud to stand alongside organizations like DRM, and others, that work to ensure that all programs, services and opportunities are fully accessible to all people, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws. We take immense pride in our high-profile, high-impact disability rights cases, which our experienced attorneys litigate in trial and appellate courts across the country. We also take immense pride in our representation of people with disabilities and their families.
Learn more about our disability rights practice here.
ABOUT JESSIE WEBER
Jessie enjoys helping clients navigate a diverse range of difficult legal issues, with a focus on civil rights, including disability and LGBTQ+ rights, employment law, including wage and hour cases, and appellate litigation. Jessie is well versed in both complex litigation and negotiations and enjoys using a range of tools to obtain justice for her clients. Learn more about Jessie here.
ABOUT JAMIE STRAWBRIDGE
Jamie Strawbridge’s practice includes cases involving civil rights, disability rights, housing discrimination, and commercial litigation. Learn more about Jamie here.
ABOUT DISABILITY RIGHTS MARYLAND
Disability Rights Maryland (DRM), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is Maryland’s designated Protection & Advocacy agency (formerly known as “Maryland Disability Law Center”). DRM is federally mandated to advance the civil rights of people with disabilities. DRM provides free legal services to Marylanders of any age with all types of disabilities (developmental, intellectual, psychiatric, physical, sensory, learning, traumatic brain injury), who live in facilities, in the community or who are homeless. More about DRM.
ABOUT BROWN, GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, DC. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.