Office of the President
Dear Potential Pro Bono Service Award Nominator:
The New York State Bar Association is pleased to call for nominations for the 20th 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 thirteen 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. An award also is presented 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.
Since the establishment in 2007 of the Senior Attorney category, the competition for this award continues to be extremely competitive. We attribute this in part to the sheer volume of nominations received for this category, but also due to the fact that as a class, this group has made some of the most outstanding and far-reaching contributions to the cause of promoting and protecting the legal interests of all New Yorkers, regardless of age, disability, income, or social status. The Senior Attorney award is proudly bestowed on an attorney, aged 65 or older, who has demonstrated a life-time commitment to the ideal of equal access to justice for New Yorkers of limited financial means.
The brochure outlines the criteria and other details about each of these awards. Please share this information with your colleagues and others in your community and encourage nominations. We hope that you will 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 low-income and vulnerable persons by submitting a nomination on their behalf. If you have any questions about the awards please contact the Department of Pro Bono Affairs at (518) 487-5641 or send an e-mail to probono@nysba.org . The nomination brochure is available at www.nysba.org/2010ppsanominationform . Nominations must be received by March 19, 2010.
The awards ceremony will be held on Monday, May 3, 2010 in Albany, New York, at One Elk Street, immediately following the New York Court of Appeals' Law Day Celebration. I look forward to honoring the recipients of the 2010 President's Pro Bono Service Awards.
Sincerely,
Michael E. Getnick
President, New York State Bar Association
Getnick Livingston Atkinson & Priore, LLP