Armstrong Teasdale Lawyers Chosen for Atticus Finch Award

Armstrong Teasdale, a law firm with offices across the United States and in China, proudly announces that attorneys Richard Scherrer and Jack Quinn are being recognized today for their pro bono work on a civil rights case brought on behalf of sexual offenders.  The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) is honoring the attorneys with the 2016 Atticus Finch Award, which is given to lawyers who unflinchingly defend unpopular clients or causes. The award is named after the lawyer in Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Scherrer is a senior counsel in the firm’s Litigation practice group and Quinn recently retired as a litigation partner.

They will receive the award at the MACDL’s annual meeting banquet to be held in Kansas City at 6 p.m. at the Westin Crown Center. Other attorneys receiving the award for their work on the case are Tony Rothert, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri; Eric Selig of Rosenblum, Schwartz, Rogers & Glass; and Susan Kister, a solo practitioner.

The case, Van Orden v. Stringer, is a class action institutional reform lawsuit brought on behalf of convicted sexual offenders who completed their sentences but are still being held in maximum security facilities. The case centers on their civil confinement at the Department of Mental Health’s Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services, or SORTS program.  Armstrong Teasdale’s involvement in the case began in 2009 when Scherrer received a federal court appointment requiring him to represent the offenders in a pro se civil rights suit.  He converted the case into a class action and expanded its scope to attack the legitimacy of the state claim that the residents were receiving treatment so they could be released.

Scherrer, a former Armstrong Teasdale managing partner, is known for his skills in both strategic litigation and law firm management. Trying more than 100 cases to verdict, he has frequently been involved in high-profile, high-stakes litigation. The founder and leader of the Second Ranger Battalion Assistance Foundation, Scherrer has been named to the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame. His previous honors also include the Legal Champions of the Year award from Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Scherrer received his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law and B.S.B.A from Washington University.

Quinn, a former co-leader of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice group, handled patent cases as well as business, commercial and employment litigation. He is a former president of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers. Quinn received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law; M.A.T. from Harvard Graduate School of Education; and A.B., with honors, from the University of Missouri.

About Armstrong Teasdale: With lawyers in offices across the United States and in China, Armstrong Teasdale LLP has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. The firm is a member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 160 independent law firms with locations in more than 100 countries, and the United States Law Firm Group, a network of 18 law firms headquartered in major U.S. cities. Armstrong Teasdale is listed in the Am Law 200, published by The American Lawyer, and the NLJ 250, published by The National Law Journal. For more information, please visit www.armstrongteasdale.com.