LSNYC Celebrates National Pro Bono Week With Event Honoring Pro Bono Champions

October 24, 2014, New York, NY— Last night, Legal Services NYC honored more than 600 volunteers at an event generously hosted by WilmerHale. A special “Pro Bono Champion” award was presented to Winston & Strawn partner John Aerni, who has provided tireless pro bono service to Legal Services NYC for decades, and made untold contributions to our clients, their families, and communities.

Legal Services NYC also paid tribute to our top 30 pro bono attorneys and top 10 pro bono law students, each of whom provided extraordinary assistance to low-income New Yorkers. The top 30 pro bono attorneys range from partners and associates at large law firms, to emeritus attorneys and recent graduates. Whether litigating large impact cases, taking on matters that help only one family, or providing counsel on critical legal matters for our program, their contributions have been outstanding. The top 10 law students have also played a crucial role, conducting research, drafting memoranda and briefs, and providing intake services and direct representation for clients.

Finally, we recognized Legal Services NYC staff members who went above and beyond to ensure that our pro bono volunteers received all the support necessary to provide the highest level of service for our clients.

“We helped more than 70,000 low-income New Yorkers last year—and there is no way we would have reached anywhere near that number without the invaluable support of our pro bono partners,” said Adam Heintz, Director of Pro Bono Services at LSNYC. “We are so grateful to each of our volunteers, and look forward to achieving even more together in the coming year.”

Last night’s event also marked LSNYC’s celebration of National Pro Bono Week. Established by the American Bar Association’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Week serves both to focus the nation's attention on the increased need for pro bono services for the disadvantaged and to celebrate the outstanding work of lawyers who volunteer their services throughout the year. Every year, Legal Services NYC leverages its limited resources with thousands of hours of pro bono assistance from pro bono attorneys and other volunteers. We are proud to honor these volunteers for the critical services they provide for our clients.

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