This series is aimed at bringing attention to Nelson Mullins attorneys who are committed to pro bono work as a part of their role at the Firm.

We are pleased to shine a light on Baltimore partner Mary C. Biscoe-Hall for her pro bono work! Mary is a dogged advocate for our pro bono clients, making sure that their rights are upheld in a system that can feel daunting for average citizens. “It is our moral imperative as sworn officers of the Court to be stopgaps in the face of these gaping holes in our system,” Mary says.

Biscoe-Hall handles complex litigation in jurisdictions across the country. She has experience in the areas of commercial and business litigation, construction defect litigation, contract disputes, employment law, products liability defense, mass tort litigation, insurance defense, and class action litigation.

Describe a compelling pro bono matter in which you are involved.

It is impossible for me to only discuss one matter as I am currently working on two extremely compelling matters:

• We represent a mother who has been deprived of custody of her children for over a year. In sum, Mother and Father entered into a custody agreement at the time of their divorce whereby Father became the primary custodial parent and Mother had regular visitation. Mother maintained her parental rights. Following Father’s death in April 2022, paternal grandparents made fraudulent misrepresentations to the Court to obtain emergency custody of the children—Paternal grandparents blame Mother for Father’s death. Paternal grandparents did not serve Mother with the Petition for Custody until we entered our appearance— almost five months later. Through our investigation, we have uncovered serious violations of Mother’s constitutional rights—violations that would not have been uncovered without our intervention. After numerous conferences and hearings, we were able to, first, secure Zoom visitation with the children, then after over a year of not seeing the children, Mother was granted in-person visitation and was able to see her children for the first time last month. Trial is scheduled for June and, based on preliminary rulings by the court, we believe it is likely that Mother will prevail.
   
• Williams, et al. v. Ferguson, et al.— We are collaborating with the ACLU of Louisiana to represent peaceful protestors in a class action against the New Orleans Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police. The protestors participated in a peaceful protest in the wake of George Floyd’s tragic murder and were met with excessive force at the hands of law enforcement. The class action complaint seeks to hold the responsible officers and their supervisors and enablers accountable for systemic discrimination against demonstrators exercising their right to protest police misconduct. The class action complaint alleges that the defendants violated the demonstrators’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to free speech and assembly, using excessive force in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment and under Louisiana’s state constitution, and civil rights violations, among other tort claims, such as assault, battery, negligence, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress under Louisiana law.

What is most meaningful to you about your engagement?

Our engagement gives a voice to those who likely would not have the platform or resources to advocate for themselves. It has become painfully apparent that the legal system is not meant to encourage accountability, transparency, or even ease of access for the average citizen. It is our moral imperative as sworn officers of the Court to be stopgaps in the face of these gaping holes in our system. The system is meant to work for the people and facilitate the just and fair result, not make it impossible for citizens to seek redress for wrongdoing.

What impact has this work had on you personally?

I am reinvigorated! While I enjoy my overall practice, my pro bono practice has reinvigorated my creativity and problem-solving mindset. In situations where I would have typically believed there was “no way out,” our team has found one. I have come to realize that there is always a way to address what is right. While the answer may not be written explicitly in the state rule book, sometimes you have to frame your concern in just the right way for the court to take notice and hear you out. It may not always be pretty, but all that matters is that it gets the job done.