Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program Announces Pro Bono Awards Recipients

Oct. 27, 2011 - PRLog -- The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), a joint program of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, hosted the 29th Pro Bono Awards Reception on October 26 at the Belo Mansion, which honored judges, attorneys, court reporters and legal staff who provide free legal services to indigent residents of Dallas County.

In a 12-month period, volunteers gave over 50,000 hours of free legal aid to the less fortunate of Dallas. The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program has consistently been recognized as one of the country’s most successful programs of its kind. Each year, an awards program is held to recognize the volunteers who provide free legal aid to those who are unable to afford them.

Presented for the first time this year was the Access to Justice Award. The recipient, Lisa Blue Baron, of Baron & Blue, was recognized for her compassion, generosity and commitment to helping those less fortunate. The new Access to Justice Award will be given jointly by the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas from time to time to a deserving individual, group, or organization and will be named The Lisa Blue & Fred Baron Access to Justice Award in honor of their long standing support of the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.

Other awards presented during the ceremony were the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, which went to Starlett Carter, an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, who, over a two-year period, contributed more than 700 hours of pro bono work.

The Pro Bono Firm of the Year was awarded to the firm of Patton Boggs LLP, whose attorneys donated nearly 3,000 hours of pro bono services to DVAP clients. According to Mike Forshey, Partner and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee, “We are honored as attorneys to help those who are less fortunate and as a firm we are true believers in the many positive aspects of community and pro bono service. We take great pride in our commitment as a firm in giving back to the community and serving those in need.”

Additional awards presented include:

Hartman Judicial Pro Bono Service Award: Hon. David Lopez, 256th District Court
Outstanding New Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year: Ausra Laurusaite-Kromelis, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.
Pro Bono Coordinator of the Year: Pamela St. John
Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteers—West Dallas Clinic: Phillip Kingston, Shields, Britton & Fraser, P.C.
Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteers—Garland Clinic: Catherine Emmanuel
Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteers—South Dallas Clinic: Jeff Moore
Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteers—East Dallas Clinic: Lauren Waite, Haynes and Boone LLP
Pro Bono Court Reporter of the Year: Elizabeth Griffin
Outstanding Court Personnel: Twyla Weatherford
Outstanding Support Volunteer: Phyllis Cephas
Outstanding Sole Practitioner: William Lamoreaux
Lois Bacon Special Services Award: Nina Orendian
Pro Bono Appreciation Award: Barry Sorrels, Sorrels, Udashen & Anton
Outstanding Outreach Clinic Attorney: Anne Rowe, Law Office of Wendel A. Withrow
Outstanding Clinic Sponsor: American Airlines
Gold Award for Pro Bono Service: Cozen O’Conner; Weil Gotshal & Manges, LLP; Akin
Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; and Haynes and Boone, LLP
Silver Award for Pro Bono Service: Sedgwick LLP; Andrews Kurth LLP; Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.; and Jones Day
Bronze Award for Pro Bono Service: The Bassett Firm; Carrington Coleman; Jackson Walker L.L.P.; and Locke Lord LLP

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The Dallas Bar Association is a professional, voluntary organization of more than 10,000 Dallas-area attorneys.