Supreme
Judicial Court Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal
Services
Seeks Nominations for 2009 Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards
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 seeking nominations for the 2009 Adams Pro Bono Publico
Awards. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, July
15.
Nominations
should be submitted to: Richard McMahon, Esq., The
2009 Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards, c/o
New Center for Legal Advocacy, Inc., 18 Main Street Extension,
Third Floor, Plymouth, MA 02360, or to rmcmahon@ncla.net For
inquiries, the telephone number is 508-591-6680.
Nominations submitted in 2008 remain active for consideration
in the 2009 awards program.
This
year the prestigious Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards will
be presented in a ceremony at the John Adams Courthouse
on October 28, 2009. The date was selected to coincide
with the recognition of the National Pro Bono Celebration
from October 25-31, 2009, sponsored by the American Bar
Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public
Service.
Named
in honor of Attorneys John Adams and John Quincy Adams,
the Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards recognize individual
lawyers, small and large law firms, government attorney
offices, corporate law departments, and other institutions
in the legal profession in Massachusetts that have "enhanced
the human dignity of others by improving or delivering
volunteer legal services to our Commonwealth's poor and
disadvantaged."
The
Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services will select
awardees from among those who have excelled in providing
volunteer services in one or more of the following ways:
| 1) |
volunteer participation
in an activity or pro bono program which resulted
in satisfying previously unmet needs or in extending
services to underserved segments of the population;
|
| 2) |
successfully litigated pro bono cases
that favorably affected the provision of other services
to the poor; and/or
|
| 3) |
successfully achieved legislation
that contributed substantially to legal services
to the poor. |
In
2008, awards were presented to Attorney John G. Dugan
of Millis, a principal in the law firm of Doherty, Ciechanowski,
Dugan & Cannon, P.C. in Franklin and Medfield and
Attorney Edward Notis-McConarty of Newton, a partner
in the Boston law firm of Hemenway & Barnes LLP;
Francis J. (Jay) Lynch III, of North Easton, managing
partner in Lynch & Lynch Attorneys of Boston and
South Easton; and Attorneys Christine J. Wichers of Cambridge
and Lisa M. Gaulin of South Boston, of Choate Hall & Stewart
LLP in Boston.
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.
|
