Gun Safety Organization To Honor Former US Attorney General Eric Holder, Gun Safety Advocates For Fighting For Safer Communities
June 27, 2017 — Tonight, at their 24th Annual Anniversary Dinner , the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence will honor former US Attorney General Eric Holder as one of several distinguished gun violence prevention champions. Each year, the Law Center’s Anniversary Dinner honors the exceptional efforts of a few key individuals for their outstanding leadership in the gun violence prevention movement.
The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a partner organization of Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) , the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, organizes the dinner as a unique opportunity to bring together attorneys, business professionals, lawmakers, and advocates from across the country to recognize the movement’s champions, celebrate the Law Center’s remarkable achievements, and support the fight for gun laws that save lives.
In recognition of his outstanding leadership in the gun violence prevention movement, former US Attorney General Eric Holder will receive the 2017 Courageous Leadership Award. In admiration of their courage and commitment to preventing more families from suffering the loss of a child to gun violence, Pam and Tom Bosley, whose teenage son was shot to death in Chicago church parking lot, will receive the 2017 Lifesaving Service Award. Law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP will also receive the 2017 Richard W. Odgers Pro Bono Partner Award in recognition of the essential role they have played in creating the Firearms Accountability Counsel Taskforce , a bold new partnership between the private bar and the gun violence prevention movement.
“We are honored to recognize the tremendous achievements that these outstanding gun violence prevention champions have made to our country,” said Robyn Thomas, executive director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “Each of these award recipients has made a lasting impact that has made our nation a better, safer place to live. We thank these individuals for their service and look forward to honoring their courage and commitment to fighting our nation’s gun violence crisis.”
About The Honorable Eric H. Holder Jr., Recipient Of The 2017 Courageous Leadership Award:
The Honorable Eric H. Holder Jr. served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from February 2009 to April 2015. Under his leadership, the Justice Department committed much-needed resources to cities and states grappling with the gun violence crisis and implemented many of President Obama’s executive actions on rearms that followed in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre. In recent years, Mr. Holder has been an outspoken and insightful advocate for the legislative and community-based solutions that we craft, enact, and support at the Law Center.
As the third-longest serving attorney general in US history and the first African American to hold that office, he is an internationally recognized leader across a broad range of regulatory enforcement, criminal justice, and national security issues. In 2014, TIME named Mr. Holder to its list of 100 Most Influential People, noting that he had “worked tirelessly to ensure equal justice.” Including his tenure as attorney general, Mr. Holder has served in government for more than 30 years, having been appointed to various positions requiring US Senate confirmation by Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Reagan. Mr. Holder returned to the law firm of Covington & Burling after his service as attorney general, where he advises clients on complex investigations and litigation matters.
In recognition of his willingness to fight for responsible gun laws, Mr. Holder will receive the Law Center’s 2017 Courageous Leadership Award.
About Pam & Tom Bosley, Recipients Of The 2017 Lifesaving Service Award:
Pam and Tom Bosley lost their teenage son, Terrell, when he was shot and killed outside his church on the way to choir practice on the South Side of Chicago in 2006. In the aftermath of this truly senseless tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. Bosley turned grief into action by founding two nonprofit organizations committed to helping those affected by the crisis of gun violence plaguing our cities.
Realizing the limited support available to parents whose children have been murdered in Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Bosley formed Purpose Over Pain , an advocacy and support group focused on offering much-needed assistance to grieving families and fighting for solutions to the gun violence epidemic. They also launched the Terrell Bosley Anti-Violence Association , providing food, clothing, and community events for young people and their families. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Bosley both work as part of violence prevention initiatives at the St. Sabina Church with renowned pastor and activist Father Michael Pfleger.
Mr. and Mrs. Bosley, both born and raised in Chicago, have dedicated their lives to serving their community and creating lifesaving change out of unthinkable tragedy. In admiration of their courage and commitment to preventing more families from suffering the loss of a child to gun violence, the Law Center will honor Mr. and Mrs. Bosley with its 2017 Lifesaving Service Award.
About Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Recipient Of The 2017 Richard W. Odgers Pro Bono Partner Award:
Law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is the recipient of the Law Center’s 2017 Richard W. Odgers Pro Bono Partner Award, in recognition of the essential role they have played in creating the Firearms Accountability Counsel Taskforce , a bold new partnership between the private bar and the gun violence prevention movement. Committing a remarkable amount of invaluable resources to this project, the firm’s support of the Law Center’s efforts to hold the firearms industry and the gun lobby accountable for profiting at the expense of public safety will have a tangible, lifesaving impact for years to come.
The Richard W. Odgers Pro Bono Partner Award is given in honor of Richard W. “Dick” Odgers (1936–2014), who was a beloved founder, supporter, and friend to the Law Center. Mr. Odgers helped create the organization after the 101 California Street shooting and served as the organization’s first president, staying active on the board for 16 years. In 2015, the Law Center renamed its annual pro bono partner award after Odgers, paying tribute to his remarkable legacy as an attorney and champion of responsible gun laws.