News  Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee to Present 2026 Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards to Lawyers and Law Student

What:         

On Thursday, October 29, 2026, Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Elizabeth N. Dewar will present the annual Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards on behalf of the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services to the following recipients, in recognition of their exceptional dedication to providing volunteer legal services for persons who cannot afford an attorney.  

• Peter Ebb, a retired Ropes & Gray partner and Access to Justice Fellow, who devoted over 1,300 pro bono hours in the past year to supporting day-to-day operations, building and enhancing organizational infrastructure, and working to expand The Habeas Project – New England, which provides representation to detained immigrants in six states.
• Wyley Proctor, a partner at McCarter & English, for her extensive pro bono work representing domestic violence survivors in seeking restraining orders and in divorce and custody matters, and her efforts encouraging and training other attorneys to undertake these cases.  
• Ronaldo Rauseo-Ricupero, counsel at Nixon Peabody, for his extraordinary record of pro bono service in a wide range of immigration matters throughout his career.  
• The Devenscrest Tenants Association Pro Bono Team (Foley Hoag partner Jeffrey Mullan, associate Daniel Carlston, and former associate Cloe Pippin; Goulston & Storrs counsel David Abromowitz and associates Louise Giannakis and Taylor Dias; and solo practitioners Cornelius Sullivan and Gail Hupper) for collectively dedicating thousands of pro bono hours over 4½ years to permanently preserve over 100 affordable units in a rental development for hundreds of low- and moderate-income residents, including seniors and people with disabilities, after it was purchased by an investor.  
• Bailey Cortright, a 2026 graduate of Suffolk University Law School, for providing hundreds of hours of law-related pro bono service in support of juvenile justice and child welfare during her law school career.   

The Standing Committee will also recognize the achievements of attorneys, law students, and legal organizations who qualified for the Supreme Judicial Court Pro Bono Honor Roll.   

The SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services works to promote volunteer legal service to assist people of limited means in need of representation, in accordance with Rule 6.1 of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys. The awards ceremony coincides with the American Bar Association’s National Celebration of Pro Bono during the week of October 25-31, 2026, and is one of many activities supporting pro bono legal work in Massachusetts during the month of October. 

When:

Thursday, October 29, 2026, 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Where:

The program will be presented in person in the Supreme Judicial Court's Seven Justice Courtroom at the John Adams Courthouse, One Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108.

The program will also be available live online at https://boston.suffolk.edu/sjc/.