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2009 Empire State Counsel® Program

Recognizing Association Members Who Change 
The Lives of Poor New Yorkers

Lawyers who serve the poor without charge should be celebrated. By generously donating their time and talent, they change lives. They help people who otherwise could not afford counsel achieve justice. The New York State Bar Association is tremendously proud of our members who render free legal services to the poor.  

In 2006, the New York State Bar Association created a program to give special recognition to members who provide 50 hours or more of legal services in a calendar year, at no fee and without expectation of fee, to persons of limited financial means; or to a not for profit, governmental or public services organizations, where the legal services are designed primarily to address the legal and other basic needs of persons of limited financial means; or to an organization specifically designed to increase the availability of legal services to persons of limited financial means.  Members who report such voluntary service will be given the honorific title “Empire State Counsel®,” which can be used as a credential. They also will receive a certificate, suitable for framing, a ribbon, and a lapel pin embossed with the unique Empire State Counsel® logo which they can wear with pride. 

As an honoree of the 2009 Empire State Counsel® Program the Association invites you to submit a photograph together with a brief statement explaining why you perform Pro Bono service for inclusion in the 2009 Empire State Counsel® Photo Gallery.  The Photo Gallery will be prominently displayed during NYSBA’s Annual Meeting which takes place January 25-30, 2010 at the New York Hilton Garden Inn, 1335 Avenue of the Americas between 53rd and 54th Streets, New York City.  Please submit your photo and comments to probono@nysba.org no later than December 15, 2009.  Photographs and comments received after this date will not be included in the Photo Gallery.

Please contact the Department of Pro Bono Affairs at (518) 487-5641 or e-mail at probono@nysba.org ff you have any questions about the Empire State Counsel® Program.   

If you are a non-member, but otherwise meet the criteria for the Empire State Counsel® Program, click here to obtain information about a special membership offer.

Looking for pro bono opportunities, but are not sure how to find them, please go to the Pro Bono Opportunities Guide, a statewide online resource that helps you find such opportunities at programs in your location and in your area of interest.

To participate in the 2009 Empire State Counsel® Program,click here.