President's Pro Bono Service Awards
The New York State Bar Association
is pleased to call for nominations for the 18th Annual
President’s Pro Bono Service Awards. Each year the Association is privileged to recognize those who
have made an outstanding contribution in providing access to justice to
the poor in New York State.
Historically, we have presented an award
to an attorney from each of the twelve judicial districts; to an
attorney who has practiced for less than 10 years or who is under age
36; and to an attorney who has rendered outstanding pro bono service
while serving as an in-house counsel, public service or government
attorney. We also present
an award to an individual law student and to a law student group, in
recognition of their outstanding contributions to pro bono.
Other award categories include large law firms (50
attorneys or more) and small/mid-size law firms for actively and
successfully promoting pro bono service by their
attorneys.
This year, for the first time, I am
pleased to announce that in addition to the above categories, the
Association has expanded the pool of potential nominees to include an
award for a Senior Attorney, aged 65 or older, who has demonstrated a
commitment to the ideal of equal access to justice for New Yorkers of
limited financial means.
You may download the nomination brochure, which outlines the
criteria and other details about each of these awards.
We also ask that you share this information with your
colleagues and others in your community and encourage nominations. We
encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to honor the
dedicated attorneys and law firms who have made a difference in support
of pro bono services for the poor by submitting a nomination on their
behalf. If you have any questions or require
additional nominating forms, please contact the Department of Pro Bono
Affairs at (518) 487-5641 or send an e-mail to probono@nysba.org. The awards
will be presented on Thursday, May
1, 2008 in Albany during the
Association’s Law Day celebration. Nominations must be received by March 19,
2008.
Denison Ray Award
The purpose of the Denison Ray awards, named for a renowned legal
services advocate, is to recognize outstanding public service staff
attorneys who provide criminal and/or civil representation to low-income
and disadvantaged clients, and an outstanding nonprofit organization
that serves as a civil legal services leader helping to ensure access to
justice for all.
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