FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amy Bonderoff, Director, Development & Communications, VOLS
abonderoff@volsprobono.org, 347-521-5723
VOLUNTEERS OF LEGAL SERVICE (VOLS) ANNOUNCES ITS 2024 PRO BONO DEAN’S LIST
NEW YORK, NY – October 1, 2024
Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) is proud to announce the VOLS 2024 Pro Bono Dean’s List, recognizing hardworking and dedicated individuals who have made a tremendous impact in helping New Yorkers access justice. Our Dean’s List awardees come from several law firms and companies across New York City’s private bar and have worked across VOLS’ various legal services projects to serve our clients.
In 1984, the VOLS Pro Bono Pledge, the first of its kind, sent a message. It has been understood since throughout the New York City bar that pro bono work is the duty of every law firm and lawyer, and it should be valued as highly as paid work. As it was then, pro bono remains at the heart of VOLS’ mission. VOLS Dean’s List is dedicated to the memory of William J. Dean, VOLS’ former executive director of 25 years, who served as a pro bono champion and thought leader throughout his career.
To recognize and celebrate our 2024 Pro Bono Dean’s List, VOLS will share information about our pro bono program and Dean’s List awardees throughout October, which is National Pro Bono Month.
Congratulations and thank you to the 2024 VOLS Pro Bono Dean’s List Awardees!
Dean’s List Awardee Features:
Brian M. Budnick
Practice Area Attorney, Corporate
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I began working on this matter right after Thanksgiving 2020. Reflecting over the holiday weekend, it seemed like there was so much suffering due to the pandemic, so I told myself to “just do it” and take on a pro bono case when the next opportunity presented itself. A few days later, a case with a request for emergency assistance came in and I took it without hesitation.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
First, it has made me more grateful as a person and given me more perspective, which I’ve brought into my legal practice. Second, it has made me more resilient both personally and professionally. Finally, it has required me to tap into different skills to achieve my client’s objectives than those I typically bring to the table as a real estate attorney focused on closing deals.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
Last year, my client’s mother invited me and my wife and children to my client’s birthday party in one of the hospital common rooms. My two boys (at the time ages 3 and 6) both know that this case takes up a considerable amount of my time, and they both understood this was an atypical birthday party. That being said, they had a blast – I think it helped them understand why the case is important to their dad and that when I am working on it instead of playing with them, it is for a very good reason.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
Legal analysis and work product can change the trajectory of someone’s life. Given the stakes, I am grateful to have partners at VOLS who offer their technical expertise, share their experiences, brainstorm ideas and provide confidence and emotional support. They are an invaluable resource.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Just do it. While working on this case has caused stress and taken an emotional toll at times, those feelings immediately dissipate when I reflect on how much I’ve helped improve my client’s and his family’s situation. This case is the most rewarding thing I have done in my legal career. I would also say to the junior associates in particular: you have more time than you realize, and there’s no better way to make a positive impact than pro bono work.
Sean J. Cassidy
Associate
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I first got involved with VOLS by participating in the pro bono legal clinic that the firm conducts at PS 188 – The Island School, which I now help to coordinate. The clinic provides legal services to the parents of students at the school. Over the last year many of the parents have requested help with their asylum proceedings so it was clear that was an area of need in the city. When I was presented with the opportunity to assist with the VOLS Immigration and Children’s Projects I jumped at it.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
My billable work is focused on representing clients in sophisticated real estate transactions. Pro bono work gives me an opportunity to practice in areas that I’m less familiar, but feel that I can still make a difference. It’s rewarding that I am able to use my education and legal background to assist people in the community with a broad range of legal issues.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
Last year I worked on an asylum case where a mother and her two children were granted asylum. Brian Hilburn (who is also receiving this award) and I worked on the case together. We spent many weeks preparing and we were so happy for the family when asylum was granted. Seeing the mother cry tears of joy when asylum was granted is a memory that will be imprinted in my mind forever.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
The VOLS’ legal team has been an invaluable resource for me. They always make themselves available to assist despite having a heavy workload themselves. They provided me with the information and input I needed throughout my first asylum case. It was truly a team effort.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
I would say, don’t worry if you don’t have any prior experience in the practice area. That is not an expectation nor a requirement. Having a desire to help is all that is needed. VOLS will support you and provide you with the guidance that you need.
Brian E. Hilburn
Associate
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
In my past life, working as a public interest attorney and clerking, I experienced firsthand the importance of the work done by organizations like VOLS, particularly the direct impact it has on the most vulnerable members of our community. For those reasons, I have sought out pro bono opportunities since I started at Kramer Levin and, fortunately, Kramer Levin has a longstanding relationship with VOLS.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
It helps to put things into perspective and is a good reminder of the reasons I initially entered the legal field. When one is faced with a client’s situation in which, for example, their families’ ability to remain in the United States is at risk, it certainly makes the stresses of work easier to handle. Additionally, I had the opportunity to represent our client at her Asylum hearing, gaining invaluable in-court experience, including performing the direct examination of our client, delivering a closing argument, and working with an expert witness.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
We obtained a grant of asylum for a woman (and her two sons) from Honduras who escaped continued harassment and death threats from a community member because she is HIV positive, and faced discrimination because she is a Black Garifuna woman. The Judge unexpectedly granted her Asylum application from the bench, and being able to celebrate the win with our clients in person was a particularly rewarding, and memorable, experience.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
I had an excellent experience working with both Dorian Rojas and Abja Midha. They walked us through everything we should expect over the course of the case and what we would need to file on our client’s behalf—providing us with samples and assistance as the case progressed, as well as helping us prepare for the hearing. I never felt out to sea in this new area of law because of their generous assistance.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
It will be rewarding. Regardless of the outcome, you will help a person in need tell their story—and to not feel alone—before an otherwise intimidating and confusing tribunal. You will gain invaluable experience. You will be supported by the VOLS’ team. And, due to this support, the time commitment is not overwhelming.
Isabelle Glimcher
Associate
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I became involved in VOLS through pro bono projects I worked on early in my days at Debevoise. With the firm’s support, especially from Jennifer Cowan and Jane Shvets, I became more involved as a member of the organization’s Pro Bono Advocates Council, and I jumped at the opportunity to coordinate a life-planning documents clinic at Jacob Riis Settlement House with the Senior Law Project. VOLS provided great training and models, and it was incredibly rewarding to get to know and help our clients.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
My pro bono work has been among the most meaningful aspects of my career as a lawyer so far. It’s such a privilege to support people through the challenges they face, and I am inspired by their resilience and perseverance every day.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
Through the life-planning documents clinic, I had the chance to meet older adults who have been living in New York City for 60, 70, 80+ years. Life-planning documents involve hard conversations, so it was moving to see people open up over the course of the project. My favorite moment was the lunch was all had together in the midst of finalizing and executing their documents, where I got to hear clients’ stories from living in the city where I grew up.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
I worked with Elisa Tustian, Alyssa Villareal, Anne Vieser, Yuyan Yu, and several other members of the VOLS staff to guide attorneys and clients through the process of drafting and executing life-planning documents. The VOLS team was an invaluable partner every step of the way, lending expertise, enthusiasm, and positivity throughout the process.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Go for it! As lawyers, we have the power to truly change people’s lives. There is so much need, and there are always ways to help, no matter how little time you have. You’d be surprised how much you can help someone just by giving a few hours of your time.
Jared Greenfield
Associate
DLA Piper LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I first became involved with VOLS through an IP clinic organized for small business owners. I had previously participated in similar clinics organized by other organizations and found that I really enjoy advising creators and small business owners on IP issues to help them realize their creative vision and business objectives. When I heard about the VOLS clinic, I jumped at the opportunity to participate. New York’s creators and small businesses embody an entrepreneurial spirit—or hustle, if you will—that is unique to New York, and their contributions, no matter how small, are essential to making New York the cultural and commercial capital that it is. It is tremendously rewarding to be able to use my experience and skills as an attorney to assist my fellow New Yorkers in enriching the City’s culture and economy.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
Pro bono work has made me a better lawyer and fundamentally enriched my practice in several ways. First and foremost, pro bono work has allowed me to develop critical lawyering skills early on in my career. From arguing motions before the New York State Family Court and federal Immigration Court, to advising startup founders on commercial licensing and corporate governance issues at critical points in their companies’ development, pro bono work has afforded me opportunities to do things usually reserved for more senior and experienced practitioners, all within the first few years of my career. Pro bono matters have also provided me with opportunities to counsel clients on issues beyond my primary practice area or that do not ordinarily come up in my billable work, requiring me to expand the scope of my legal knowledge. Pro bono work has also allowed me to work closely with clients I would not ordinarily be able to work with, such as first-time entrepreneurs, early-stage companies, and individual creators. Advising such clients with more limited means and experience in their fields requires much more creativity on my part as a lawyer to find solutions and break down complex issues.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
The VOLS clinic at the 2024 NYC Small Business Expo was a particularly memorable experience for me. Several colleagues from my practice group and I counseled dozens of small business owners and entrepreneurs on a variety of IP issues in a single day. Although the wide range of legal issues presented and nonstop stream of consultations were challenging, it was a lot of fun to get out of the office and collaborate with my colleagues in such a dynamic, fast-paced environment. And as a former New York City public servant, I relished the experience of interfacing directly with fellow New Yorkers, learning about their businesses, and advising them on IP issues critical to accomplishing their business and creative goals.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
I have primarily worked with Andrea Tan and other members of VOLS’s Microenterprise Project. I had previously worked with Andrea on pro bono IP matters for Brooklyn Legal Services, so it was wonderful to reconnect and collaborate with her again to assist VOLS clients. Andrea and every VOLS team member I have worked with has been super helpful and respectful of my time. VOLS does a great job of providing you with all the information and resources you need to assist your clients seamlessly and successfully. The VOLS clinics in particular are very well organized; because VOLS does such a great job at handling client intake and coordinating, you can focus all of your time on attending to your clients’ legal needs.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Do it! There are few things more rewarding as an attorney than using your skills and expertise to help a client in need who may not otherwise have access to legal services. I touched on this in a prior response, but it bears repeating here: pro bono work is an excellent way to develop your lawyering skills, gain critical experience, and try your hand at unfamiliar areas of the law. In that regard it is truly a win-win—you help a client in need and help yourself become a better lawyer. And if you are worried about the time commitment, fret not—there are plenty of pro bono matters with which you can make a huge impact but don’t require a whole lot of your time.
Claire James
Partner
Freshfields
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I have been involved with VOLs for a little over a decade. I started working with the Children’s Project (providing legal services at DREAM Charter School) and then more recently the Incarcerated Mothers Law Project (IMLP). The work we do through the IMLP resonates with me as a parent and a believer in access to justice. It is incredibly difficult for incarcerated persons to receive legal counsel on family law related issues and the fact we are able to provide assistance in person is especially impactful.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
My pro bono work has made me a more empathetic lawyer (and human more generally). It has helped improve my active listening skills (as part of my job with many of my pro bono clients is to issue spot) and has given me a better understanding of how our justice and family law systems work (or don’t work, as the case may be).
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
When I was a fairly junior attorney, I helped a woman win custody of her grandson after a trial (my first and last trial!). That representation was memorable because the client was so impressive in her strength and unwavering commitment to her family, but also because it was the first time I understood how big an impact I could have as a lawyer through my pro bono practice.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
I wouldn’t still be working with the organization if not for the incredible training and support of the VOLS legal teams. Stephanie Taylor, who runs the IMLP (and Ellen Rosenberg before her) is an incredible resource not just when it comes to the substantive law, but also when it comes to strategizing the best way to provide assistance (at the clinics and when handling client follow-up).
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Just do it. We have been given this incredibly powerful tool to be able to advocate for others – use it for good. And rest assured VOLS’ legal teams will train you and support you in your pro bono work so that you don’t have to worry that your clients are receiving anything less than the very best assistance.
Yuliana Kletsun
Legal Counsel
Bloomberg
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
In early 2022, as part of my work on Bloomberg’s Legal & Compliance Pro Bono Committee, I became the primary contact between Bloomberg and Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS). VOLS is filled with terrific professionals who make every effort to ensure that engaging with the organization is both accessible and meaningful. In the two years since, I have had the opportunity to speak on a VOLS-organized panel, help organize and participate in half a dozen in-person clinics, learn from several VOLS staff-led trainings, and attend countless VOLS events where my connection to the organization has been strengthened. Through the VOLS Senior Law Project, the impact of the work that volunteers provide speaks for itself. This is reflected by the ease with which the Bloomberg Legal & Compliance Pro Bono Committee can staff each opportunity.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
Pro bono work has allowed me to expand my knowledge as an attorney, feel connected to the larger legal community, and engage with New Yorkers in a new and meaningful way.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
One of the hardest things can be telling a client they do not have a claim. In those moments, the best piece of advice I ever received was to step back and understand that, sometimes, a full legal review is something the client has been waiting on for years — even when it doesn’t lead to legal action.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
The VOLS legal team has been a trusted partner, resource, organizer, and source of enthusiasm for serving New Yorkers in need for the Bloomberg Legal & Compliance Department.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Trying something new is always a good idea.
Jennifer Minervini
Pro Bono Supervisor
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
Living in New York City provides me with both the drive and obligation to give back to the members of its community. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to weave pro bono into my fulltime career at Skadden and work with amazing legal services organizations like VOLS. VOLS feels the pulse of their clients’ needs on a deep level, making their mission to bridge the access to justice gap contagious. The staff’s dedication to building community-based projects based on need is what has inspired me to support their work for New Yorkers who are seeking to access benefits, prepare life planning documents and navigate civil legal issues.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as a business services professional?
Pro bono work shapes my perspective and deepens my understanding of the systems we all exist in. Legal issues are intertwined with and have an effect on every aspect of our clients’ lives. Leading with cultural humility and competency is a skill that I continue to sharpen and infuse in my professional and personal interactions with others. The resilience of our pro bono clients is tremendous and inspires me that much more to do everything we can to provide the highest quality of legal representation. Pro bono has also been the connective tissue among our colleagues at Skadden. It connects people across departments and practices areas to contribute their time and resources on shared-value projects. Our business services professionals add another level of client service from providing interpretation and translation support to creating safe spaces for meetings.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
All of our in-person pro bono clinics generate a sort of electric energy. One of my most memorable pro bono moments with the VOLS team was during one of the first senior law project clinics that we participated in together alongside a corporate client. The pro bono clients who attended the clinic were there to prepare life-planning documents, a heavy topic to discuss and effectuate. By the end of the clinic, all of the clients felt empowered and developed a strong rapport with their attorneys. Seeing that shared-value project come to life was a moment that will stay with me.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
Over the summer we worked very closely with VOLS’ legal team on introducing unemployment insurance hearing opportunities to our summer associates. The teams were so well supported throughout the entire process and it was apparent from the beginning at how well-connected VOLS is with their clients. They maintain a special relationship with each of them and provide excellent mentorship. The legal team went above and beyond by sharing mock hearing questions to aide in the teams’ preparations and nearly all of the volunteers achieved favorable outcomes for their clients. The summer associates were able to build their skills through applying on their clients’ behalf before the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board to rectify the Department of Labor’s initial denial of unemployment benefits.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
There is a place for everyone to contribute to pro bono efforts. Dig deep and identify what you care about; your skills (whether as a business services professional or lawyer) are invaluable to the New Yorkers who need it. The impact that you will have on pro bono clients is often times immeasurable, because not only do you strive for the best legal outcome, but you can also change the course of their lives. Take the plunge and get involved – you will uncover another part of yourself that is both beautiful and powerful.
Erika Szymanski
Pro Bono Supervisor
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I became involved with VOLS when I joined Skadden’s pro bono team in 2016. Skadden has a longstanding commitment to and partnership with VOLS, which I learned immediately upon joining the team. From the outset, it was evident to me that VOLS possesses a clear vision and unwavering dedication to its mission. Over the years, attorneys and professional staff at Skadden have undertaken cases, participated in clinics, partnered on shared value projects with in-house legal departments and become well-acquainted with the VOLS legal team. VOLS has consistently supported us in becoming the pro bono warriors and messengers we aspire to be.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
Skadden has worked with VOLS since its founding 40 years ago. It has been a privilege to be part of Skadden’s pro bono team, continuing this meaningful relationship. We could not do this work without VOLS, whose efforts are vital to our community. VOLS expertly guides our law firm resources to address the most pressing legal needs for low-income New Yorkers. Additionally, VOLS provides essential resources and mentoring to our volunteers. Witnessing the dedication and passion of VOLS’s legal team as they provide free, civil legal services to low-income and under-resourced New Yorkers has been truly inspiring.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as a business services professional?
Pro bono work has profoundly enriched my work experience. It’s an honor to help facilitate this work with a team at a firm that is deeply committed to social justice and supporting low-income New Yorkers. Whether it’s coordinating resources, managing projects, or providing administrative support, every task is purposeful and impactful for the bigger picture. It is inspiring to see the tangible impact we can make when guided by VOLS. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful work and witness the positive change we create together.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Pro bono work empowers you to make a real difference in someone’s life and the community. With VOLS by your side, you will receive ongoing mentorship and training, ensuring you are supported every step of the way. It is a fantastic opportunity to develop new skills, enhance problem-solving skills, and expand your professional network, Plus, you’ll find immense personal fulfillment in giving back. Pro bono work strengthens the community by ensuring access to justice for all. If you’re unsure, start small—often, the experience itself is the best motivator to continue. Whether you’re an attorney or business services professional, VOLS offers a range of opportunities to leverage your unique skillsets to make a significant impact.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
All of the pro bono work done in partnership with VOLS is truly memorable. I am proud of our diverse pro bono work with VOLS over the years, including, DACA and other immigration matters, school based legal clinic, public benefits and life planning for seniors. In collaboration with an in-house legal department, we hosted two life planning clinics with VOLS Senior Law Project in 2023. It was incredible to be a part of the team that organized these clinics, ensuring that more than ten older New Yorkers had the necessary documents in place to make their end-of-life and healthcare choices clear. This allows them to empower their chosen caregivers to handle financial and healthcare decision-making and ultimately helps them age in place in the community for as long as possible.
Jennifer Rabbino
Associate
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
My first exposure to VOLS and the amazing work they do was when I attended the VOLS New York Together Gala in 2023 with several of my colleagues. That inspired me to seek out opportunities with VOLS, and the following year, our wonderful pro bono director Annie Mohan connected me with the Microenterprise Project. I am an intellectual property litigator, so I was excited about the prospect of taking concepts I had learned during my first few years as an attorney and applying them to pro bono projects. I am also an enthusiastic supporter of local small businesses, so I jumped at the opportunity to assist fellow New Yorkers in getting their businesses off the ground and navigating IP issues.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
As attorneys, our line of work ultimately boils down to guiding our clients towards a desired result, whether the client is a major global corporation or a local individual. Starting my career at Cadwalader has given me the invaluable experience of working with big-name clients on high-profile matters, and my pro bono work balances this by giving me the ability to help individuals and local businesses right here in my community. Pro bono work is also a chance to try out new practice areas with the added incentive of helping those in need.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
As a student in my school’s LGBT Advocacy Clinic during law school, I spent six months working with my client—a Colombian man seeking asylum due to discrimination he had experienced on the basis of his sexual orientation—to complete his asylum application and prepare him for his asylum interview. My clinic partner and I spent hours each week meeting with our client, learning his story, and gathering supporting research and affidavits from experts who could testify as to the conditions for LGBTQ+ people in Colombia. After months of hard work, our client was granted asylum and is now happily at home in the United States. Though this was nearly five years ago, it remains one of my proudest accomplishments. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I have always wanted to use my legal training to give back to a community that has given me so much.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
This past February, I led a virtual workshop with the Microenterprise Project on IP protection for small businesses. The biggest concern for small business owners is often trademark protection and registration, but many attendees also raised concerns about the increasing use of AI to create written works or logos. The intersection of AI and IP is a very hot-button issue right now, and it was great to have an engaging conversation with the attendees about how this area of law may develop in the future. I have also worked with two clients so far through the Microenterprise Project: one client had received a cease-and-desist letter with respect to their company name, and we recently reached an agreement with the other side on favorable terms for my client. That was really exciting. I am currently working with another client on obtaining trademark registration for their company. I’d also like to give a shout-out to Nick Aquino and Andrea Tan for their guidance on all of these matters – they have been great to work with and I look forward to us working together again in the future.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
Volunteering is a win-win for everyone involved – clients receive much-needed assistance, and attorneys not only help change their clients’ lives, but can discover new personal and professional interests. I view volunteering as an essential part of being a lawyer, no matter what type of law one practices. Pro bono work helps us all to be better lawyers and helps make the world a better place.
Peter C. Rosenberg
Associate
Fried, Frank, Shriver, Harris & Jacobson LLP
How did you become involved with VOLS? What interested you in volunteering with this specific project?
I first became involved with VOLS through the Benefits Law Project. I have been passionate about economic justice pro bono since law school. During law school, I noticed that there was a largely unmet need for economic justice pro bono attorneys and I could choose to help fill this need. Even now, VOLS is one of very few organizations meeting the need for unemployment insurance-related advice and hearing representations in New York City.
How has pro bono work impacted your experience as an attorney?
I can’t answer this question without first reiterating a statement from my law school orientation by the former Fordham University School of Law Dean Emeritus Matthew Diller: As members of a learned profession with a state-sanctioned monopoly on the provision of legal services, each and every one of you has a duty to provide pro bono services to the members of your community that would otherwise be unable to obtain legal services. I have restated Dean Diller’s advice time and time again as friends and former classmates embark on the journey to law school or the path to other learned professions. I feel compelled to do so because Dean Diller’s advice is true. Each and every attorney has a duty to better our communities and the world at large through pro bono work. Now, as a Fried Frank Associate, the commitment to pro bono that I witnessed at Fordham University is mirrored in Fried Frank’s ethos on pro bono.
With that out of the way, pro bono work has had a drastic impact on my legal career both expanding my view of the world and my legal expertise more broadly. I have had outstanding opportunities to represent or assist the most deserving individuals I have ever met, seen different perspectives on the world around me, become a more educated and involved citizen, and had the opportunity to make a difference in my own community. Pro bono work has not only expanded my ability to provide outstanding pro bono assistance but has also drastically improved my skillset necessary for the day-to-day practice of law.
Is there a pro bono moment and/or client that you found particularly memorable?
As a litigator, I’m usually involved in disputes or other legal issues where things have already gone wrong. Every time that I resolve a client’s dispute, I can rest easy knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life. Specifically, I recently had a pro bono client for whom I assisted with securing a divorce. After the court issued the divorce order, the client asked me to bear with her through a prayer. As we prayed together, I teared up as she thanked g-d for my team’s, Fried Frank’s, and my assistance in assisting her with entering a new chapter in her life and all the other women that we help like her. In my several years of practice I’ve worked on a large number of successful cases; however, prior to hearing this client’s words, I had never heard this level of gratitude first hand.
Tell us about how you have worked with VOLS’ legal team.
Since I started working with VOLS, I have had the pleasure of primarily interacting with Tori Roseman and Stephanie Taylor. Both of them are fantastic lawyers that have mentored me in the law relevant to the specific VOLS projects that I have worked on, aside from each of them being amazing people outside of their work. As my colleagues can attest, I get quite excited whenever I get to see Tori and Stephanie at in-person events in lieu of our typical phone conversations regarding client issues.
What advice do you have for colleagues who are on the fence about volunteering?
DO IT!!! Without paraphrasing Dean Diller’s remarks again: There are so many deserving individuals who require legal advice and cannot afford to obtain it on a billable basis. Given the barriers to entry to the legal profession, YOU are in a very unique position to help these individuals; and, in my opinion, YOU have a duty to do so.