SUPREME
JUDICIAL COURT STANDING COMMITTEE
ON
PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES INVITES NOMINATIONS
FOR ADAMS
PRO BONO PUBLICO AWARDS
Boston, MA —To
recognize outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services
for the poor and disadvantaged, the Supreme Judicial Court’s
Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services is inviting
nominations for the 2004 Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 26, 2004.
The awards will be presented in May.
Nominations
(five copies) should be submitted to: Richard McMahon,
Esq., The 2004 Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards, c/o New Center
for Legal Advocacy, Inc., 257 Union Street, New Bedford,
MA 02740. Mr. McMahon can be reached at (508) 979-7160,
ext. 3010, or at: rmcmahon@ncla.net for
further information. Nominations submitted in 2003 remain
active for consideration in the 2004 Awards’ program.
Named in honor of
Attorneys John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the Adams
Pro Bono Publico Awards recognize individual lawyers,
law firms, government attorneys, corporate law departments,
and other institutions in the legal profession in Massachusetts
that have "demonstrated outstanding commitment to
volunteer legal services for the poor and disadvantaged,
including the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS),
legal services or similar providers who conduct non-program pro
bono work."
The Standing Committee
on Pro Bono Legal Services will select awardees from among
those who have excelled in one or more of the following
ways: (1) demonstrated dedication in development and delivery
of legal services to the poor through a pro bono program;
(2) contributed significant work toward developing innovative
approaches to delivery of voluntary legal services; (3)
participated in an activity which resulted in satisfying
previously unmet needs or in extending services to underserved
segments of the population; (4) successfully litigated
pro bono cases that favorably affected the provision of
other services to the poor; and (5) successfully achieved
legislation that contributed substantially to legal services
for the poor.
Last year, awards
were presented to Michael G. Paris, a partner in the Boston
law firm of Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP; the New
Bedford law firm of Stanford & Shall; and the Women’s
Bar Foundation, the charitable and educational affiliate
of the Women’s Bar Association.
Established in August
1999, the Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services
works to promote volunteer legal work in Massachusetts
to help people of limited means who are in need of legal
representation, in accordance with SJC Rule 6.1, Voluntary
Pro Bono Publico Service ("for the public good").
Attorney Mary Ryan of Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP
chairs the Committee.
