In early 2021, the Southern Poverty Law Center referred a case to Jones Walker, and Jacob Pritt and Michael Foley, associates in the New Orleans office, became the pro bono legal team representing Thaddeus Green who was convicted in 1998 for possession with intent to distribute $20 worth of cocaine to an undercover police officer. Because it was his fourth conviction, Thaddeus was originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, despite each of his previous convictions being for non-violent crimes and all stemming from his struggle with drug addiction. In 2018, with the help of the Public Defenders’ Office, the court reduced his sentence to 30 years in prison under a decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court setting his release date for 2028. Jacob and Michael discussed the case with the Civil Rights Division of the District Attorneys’ Office and explained that a 30-year sentence for this non-violent drug offense was unconstitutional under state law. The pro bono legal team prepared and filed a motion to reconsider the sentence and met with the judge on June 2, 2021. The judge was inclined to grant the motion and re-sentence him to time served and set a hearing for June 22, 2021. The district attorney then filed a motion to withdraw the multiple bill, allowing the judge a range of 2 to 30 years to re-sentence Thaddeus. At the sentencing hearing on June 22, Jacob took testimony from Thaddeus and his cousin in support of a reduced sentence. The judge ordered him to be immediately released, and he was released the next day on June 23, 2021. To celebrate this victory, Michael and Jacob picked Thaddeus up from the bus station and brought him to his wife’s house, where he is now currently making preparations to move to Atlanta to be closer to his extended family.