VOLS October News:
National Pro Bono Week 2021
On behalf of the Volunteers of Legal Service team and network of partners, I am excited to share with you our Pro Bono Dean’s List awardees during National Pro Bono Week 2021. Today, we recognize the outstanding attorneys and non-attorneys whose volunteer service strengthened our communities during the pandemic.
VOLS was originally founded by leaders of New York City’s major law firms and corporate law departments in 1984, at a time when our city faced severe cuts to federal legal aid. Through VOLS, they contributed their expertise, time, and financial resources to help ensure that low-income New Yorkers could access the justice they deserve. This year’s Pro Bono Awards are dedicated as the Dean’s List, in memory of my predecessor of 25 years, William J. Dean, who served as a champion and thought leader for pro bono service throughout his career.
At VOLS, every week is pro bono week. Today, VOLS is proud to partner with over 70 law firms and companies, along with more than 200 community-based partners, to provide free civil legal services across our city’s five boroughs. Read below about our upcoming Pro Bono Week events.
Congratulations to this year’s Dean’s List, and thank you for your service! And we thank the many law firms, associations, and corporate law departments who serve as VOLS pro bono partners year-round.
Best regards,
Abja
Abja Midha
Executive Director
Volunteers of Legal Service
Save the Date: VOLS 2022 Gala
Save the Date! The third, annual Volunteers of Legal Service gala will be held on the evening of Wednesday, March 23, 2022, at Tribeca 360. For more information, please contact Jon Grabelle Herrmann, VOLS Director of Philanthropy & Development, at jgherrmann@volsprobono.org.
Presenting the 2021
VOLS Pro Bono Dean’s List
VOLS is proud to present the 2021 Pro Bono Dean’s List to recognize the hardworking and dedicated attorneys who have served our communities as New York City faced the threefold crises of the pandemic, economic recession, and racial injustice over the past year. We honor 112 volunteer attorneys and non-attorneys from 28 law firms and companies who have helped to keep our community afloat through pro bono service on civil legal matters. Their service recalls the spirit of William J. Dean, VOLS’ former executive director of 25 years, who tirelessly championed volunteerism across the private bar to support underserved communities in New York City. The 2021 Dean’s List is dedicated in Bill’s memory.
We thank our Dean’s List co-presenters and VOLS pro bono leaders, including Covington & Burling’s Thomas Lopez and Paul, Weiss’ Deniz Gurbuz, for offering a video introduction of the 2021 Dean’s List at our June New York, Together Awards.
VOLS Pro Bono Week Events
VOLS is proud to partner this week with Milbank to host a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) course on Life Planning Documents for Seniors with the VOLS Senior Law Project, and this Thursday with Troutman Pepper to host a CLE on Cultural Competency and Humility in Pro Bono.
Also this Thursday, October 28, members of the New York State Bar Association can join the VOLS Unemployed Workers Project for an Unemployment Insurance Hearing Clinic (1 CLE credit). Click here to RSVP.
To learn more about VOLS’ pro bono partnerships, please contact Peter Kempner, VOLS Legal Director, pkempner@volsprobono.org.
Join the VOLS Community
- If you are affiliated with a VOLS partner law firm or company and would like to volunteer, please contact your company’s pro bono counsel. If your firm or company is not already working with VOLS but you would like to, please reach out to our Pro Bono Coordinator Mai Toyohara, mtoyohara@volsprobono.org.
- Make a donation to support VOLS’ pandemic recovery efforts: volsprobono.org/donate.
- Forward this page and ask your friends to sign up for the VOLS e-newsletter at www.volsprobono.org/join.
Click Here to read the September 2021 VOLS Update Newsletter