Paul, Weiss is committed to providing impactful pro bono legal assistance to individuals and organizations in need. Our program is all-encompassing, spanning the core issues facing our society.
Court Strikes Condition Requiring Pro Bono Client to Discontinue Suboxone Treatment
- Client News
- April 3, 2017
Practices
A Paul, Weiss pro bono client achieved victory in a case challenging a probation condition requiring him to discontinue medical-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.
A state court judge in Clinton County, New York granted our client final relief and struck a requirement that, as a condition of his probation, our client stop using Suboxone for treatment of his opioid addiction. The final order was entered in response to an Order to Show Cause prepared by Paul, Weiss, working with the Legal Action Center and local counsel.
The case was the first to reach such a ruling as part of Paul, Weiss’s ongoing partnership with the Legal Action Center to challenge orders and conditions requiring individuals to discontinue medical-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. Many courts look unfavorably upon these medications due to misunderstandings and stigma; the Center is working to educate courts and probation offices about the benefits and success rates of opioid medications in treating addiction. Paul, Weiss has partnered with the Center to find cases to bring such challenges.
The Paul, Weiss team has included, among others, litigation partner Gregory Laufer and associates Christopher Filburn, Michael Richards, Brian Hunt, Ana Friedman and Christopher Gallant.