NEW YORK, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The American Bar Association (ABA) announced that Stroock will receive the 2022 ABA Pro Bono Publico Award, which recognizes the firm’s outstanding commitment to pro bono legal services for the underserved and disadvantaged. This is the highest honor bestowed by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Volunteerism and Public Service, which will present Stroock, one of five recipients, with the annual 5 August at the ABA’s annual meeting in Chicago.
“We are honored and grateful to receive this recognition,” said Alain Klinger, co-manager of Stroock. “Public service is a pillar of our firm which we are constantly working to develop and refine for maximum impact. It is a privilege to do this work, and we are proud to see the dedication and enthusiasm of our lawyers to recognized respect.”
“This humble award is a testament to our attorneys and professional staff who make high-impact pro bono work a priority, and to Stroock’s enduring commitment to equality and justice. We consider the recognition of ABA not as the culmination of our work, but rather as a catalyst that will spark new efforts and amplify our existing efforts to help those most in need, both through our own initiatives and in partnership with our many public interest allies,” said Kerry Coopermandirector of Stroock’s pro bono program, the Public Service Project.
The award recognizes Stroock’s 2021 pro bono efforts in a variety of areas, highlights of which include:
- Mobilization in times of crisis. Drawing on the company’s two decades of experience leading disaster relief efforts, Stroock established the Afghan Refugee Assistance Task Force in the summer of 2021, as the Taliban began to take control of Afghanistan. The task force has since provided emergency humanitarian, immigration, resettlement and other assistance to vulnerable Afghans and their families. Stroock also extended the work of the Small Business Legal Relief Alliance (SBLRA), which Stroock launched at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and which has since provided pro bono legal and financial support to more than 750 small business owners. and New York nonprofit organizations. Kevin Curninformer partner and founding director of the Stroock Public Service Project, provided key vision and leadership in the creation of the SBLRA and in building Stroock’s disaster relief expertise.
- Criminal justice reform and advocacy on behalf of incarcerated people. Stroock has partnered with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to help restore voting rights to previously incarcerated people across Florida. He also works with legal service organizations on issues aimed at reducing excessive criminal sentences, preparing clemency applications and improving conditions in prisons.
- Serving the underserved. Stroock helped obtain a precedent-setting decision in a lawsuit alleging that a New York City charter school engaged in practices aimed at forcing students with disabilities to opt out. The firm has also supported the efforts of the Legal Aid Society to advocate on behalf of noncitizens affected by prior marijuana convictions.
- Serve those who serve others. Stroock has also provided valuable legal support to charitable non-profit organizations through New Yorkand nationally, including Community Access, Highland Park Community Development Corporation and Goddard Riverside Community Center.
Stroock’s longstanding commitment to serving the public interest began with civic reform efforts spearheaded by the company’s founders more than a century ago. In 2001, Stroock launched its Public Service Project – one of the first practices of its kind to be run by a full-time volunteer partner – to provide a multidisciplinary approach to delivering comprehensive disaster recovery-focused legal services. , innovative collaborations and underserved services and under-resourced communities.
About the ABA Pro Bono Committee
The ABA Standing Committee on Volunteering and Public Service works to ensure access to justice through the expansion and improvement of the provision of legal and other law-related services to the underserved through the pro bono efforts of legal professionals nationwide. The Committee promotes the development of pro bono programs and activities by law firms, bar associations, corporate legal departments, law schools, government attorneys’ offices and others; analyzes the scope and function of pro bono programs; and proposes and reviews policies that affect the ability of lawyers to provide pro bono legal services.
About ABA
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education and strives to raise public awareness around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our online privacy statement. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.
SOURCE Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
