Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
Photographs of the 2009 Access to Justice Award recipients by Merrill Shea.
Nominate a colleague for an Access to Justice Award
Submit nominations by Tuesday, Nov. 10
The MBA is seeking nominations for its five Access to Justice
Awards, which will be presented at the MBA's Access to Justice
Awards Luncheon on Friday, March 12. The luncheon will be held at
the Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston.
These awards offer a unique opportunity to recognize the efforts
and achievements of our MBA members. Often, the people who shoulder
the responsibility of assuring access to the courts and the legal
system for both practitioners and members of the public are unsung
heroes. To ensure that award recipients truly reflect the best of
the legal profession, the MBA encourages nominations from its
members, from Massachusetts regional and minority bar associations
and from local public service organizations.
The Access to Justice Awards are:
Legal Services Award
An attorney employed by a public or nonprofit agency to provide
civil legal services to low-income clients, and who has made a
particularly significant or meaningful contribution to the
provision of low-income legal services, above and beyond the
requirements or his or her position.
Pro Bono Award for Law Firms
A law firm of two or more attorneys, with one or more offices in
the commonwealth, whose pro bono activities are particularly
noteworthy in relation to the firm's size and which has performed
significant or meaningful pro bono activity or which has been
particularly instrumental in developing, implementing and/or
supporting a pro bono program or pro bono services within
Massachusetts.
Pro Bono Publico Award
An individual who has been instrumental in developing,
implementing and supporting pro bono programs for the Massachusetts
Bar Association or for a local county bar association, or a pro
bono program of a law firm, or has developed a pro bono program
sponsored or organized through an agency in the commonwealth, or
has performed significant or meaningful pro bono activity.
Defender Award
An attorney who is employed or retained by a public or nonprofit
agency to provide criminal legal services to low-income clients,
and who has made a particularly significant or meaningful
contribution to the provision of low-income legal services above
and beyond the requirements of his or her position.
Prosecutor Award
A state or federal prosecutor who has distinguished himself or
herself in public service and whose commitment to justice and
serving the communities where he or she lives or works is
particularly praiseworthy.
Nominations for all of the MBA Access to Justice
Awards must be submitted in writing no later than
Tuesday, Nov. 10, to: Jean Stevens, Sections/Ethics
Administrator, Massachusetts Bar Association, 20 West St., Boston,
MA 02111-1204; [e-mail jstevens].Please submit a
letter describing why you believe that the nominee deserves this
recognition and to include the names and contact information of a
few additional people who can speak with knowledge about the
nominee.
For more information, contact Jean
Stevens at [e-mail jstevens].