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Pro Bono Information for Attorneys
Pro Bono Service Awards

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Honoring Attorneys 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 would like to recognize members who render free legal services to the poor. Every year, a few lawyers win our awards for their outstanding pro bono service, but the Association believes that every lawyer who provides a substantial amount of free legal services to the poor should be honored.

Therefore, in 2006, we created a program to give special recognition to members who provide 50 hours of legal services in a calendar year, at no fee and without expectation of fee, to persons of limited financial means; 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 organizations 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 they can use as a credential. They will also receive a certificate, a ribbon, and a lapel pin.

If you are not sure how to find appropriate opportunities, 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 2007 program, click here to download a PDF version of the verification form.




NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION, 1 ELK STREET, ALBANY, NY 12207    PH: (518) 463-3200   FX: (518) 487-5517
 

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