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October 13, 2011
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION KICKS OFF NATIONAL PRO
BONO WEEK WITH PRO BONO EXPO ON OCTOBER 19
Panel of distinguished judges, attorneys and local
service providers to discuss growing need for volunteer services and how
to find pro-bono opportunities
The New York State Bar Association, in conjunction with the Third
Judicial District Pro Bono Planning Committee, will celebrate the third
annual National Pro Bono Week with a Pro Bono Expo on October 19 from
5:30 to 8 p.m. at the State Bar Center, One Elk Street, Albany.
Pro Bono Week, established by the American Bar Association in 2009,
shines a spotlight on the extraordinary efforts of thousands of
attorneys who donate their time and talent to help society’s most
vulnerable citizens. National Pro Bono Week runs from October 23 through
29.
The State Bar Expo is intended to “demystify” what it
takes to provide pro bono services. Chief Judge of the State of New York
Jonathan Lippman and New York State Bar President Vincent E. Doyle III
of Buffalo (Connors & Vilardo LLP) will open the program. A panel of
distinguished jurists and attorneys from the Capital District will
address issues related to providing pro bono service, including:
• Level of experience and expertise needed
• Time commitments
• Areas of need
Local legal service providers will discuss how to find pro bono
opportunities tailored to an attorney’s specific experience and
skills.
“At a time when public funding of civil legal services is
imperiled, even as the need continues to grow, Capital District
attorneys have risen to the challenge, volunteering countless hours of
their time,” said State Bar President Doyle. “This Expo
offers attorneys ways they can help some of our most vulnerable and
needy neighbors.”
Attorneys attending the Expo will receive one CLE credit in
ethics. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit www.nysba.org/probono or contact the Department of
Pro Bono Affairs at (518) 487-5641.
To mark National Pro Bono Week, legal services organizations, local
bar associations, law firms and law schools throughout the state will
host free continuing legal education seminars, volunteer recruitment
drives and legal clinics. For a full listing, visit www.nysba.org/probono.
The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest
voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in
1876.
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Panelists include:
Hon. George Lowe (US Magistrate Judge)
Hon. Leslie Stein (Supreme Court)
Hon. Margaret Walsh (Albany County Family Court)
Daniel Hurteau, Partner, Nixon Peabody;
Cynthia Feathers, Solo Practitioner;
Administrative Judge George B. Ceresia (3rd Judicial District);
Administrative Judge Vito Caruso (4th Judicial District)
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