A federal judge in Maryland this week signed off on a historic $577 million settlement the state reached to settle claims that historically black colleges and universities in the state received second-class treatment. During the course of the litigation, a pro bono team at Kirkland & Ellis and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law proved that Maryland officials intentionally duplicated HBCUs’ academic programs at traditionally majority-white schools.

The deal, which was approved by the state’s legislature and signed by the governor, will fundamentally restructure higher education in Maryland making it easier for HBCUs to get approval for new academic programs and expand existing academic programs and online offerings. Our Litigator of the Week, Mike Jones of Kirkland, has been leading the effort both in the courts and in the court of public opinion for a dozen years.