Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2020

Under the leadership of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, which provided technical, administrative and direct customer support, nineteen partner firms took over our civilian complaints clinic from the Cop Accountability Project (CAP) – a commitment that continues. CAP-trained volunteers assist protesters by providing legal advice and assistance in filing civil appeals with the CCRB. Each year, approximately three thousand volunteers from over seventy law firms provide volunteer assistance to support the work of Legal Aid Society staff. We thank the individuals and law firms who share our commitment to standing up for our clients and communities of color, removing hidden and systemic barriers that can prevent them from succeeding. Willkie takes great pride in the volume and variety of work the company does as a volunteer. The company has a long-standing commitment to disadvantaged people and the promotion of social justice. We have consistently achieved exceptional results on behalf of pro bono clients in a wide range of areas. From securing asylum for people around the world to filing amicus curiae briefs in landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, Willkie`s work with underrepresented clients is broad and encompasses a wide range of causes and issues. Willkie is a signatory to the Pro Bono Institute`s Pro Bono Institute®, under which law firms commit to dedicate three percent of their billable hours annually to pro bono legal services.

Willkie is also a signatory to the Pro Bono Declaration for the Americas, in which law firms and other legal organizations commit to an average of 20 hours of pro bono work per year per lawyer. Willkie consistently outperforms these benchmarks. To ensure clients can receive adequate and affordable housing, we have partnered with community legal leaders to promote safe access to housing and rental court, eligibility for appropriate subsidies, and maintaining adequate standards of habitability. For years, police brutality and misconduct were secretly hidden behind Section 50-a, a state law that purported to protect law enforcement privacy by denying the public access to disciplinary reports. After years of advocacy, our organization, along with community partners, including Citizens United For Police Reform, were able to topple the 50-a state legislature in 2020. This victory could not have been achieved and ongoing conservation efforts would not have been possible without years of volunteer lawyers` support. Participating firms include: The California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA) annually awards the Jack Berman Award of Achievement to recognize a new California lawyer during the first eight years of service to the public, the judiciary, or the legal profession. The Honourable Ming W. Chin was appointed to the Supreme Court of California in March 1996. Prior to his appointment to the High Court, Justice Chin served on Division III of the San Francisco First District Court of Appeals from 1990 to 1996. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals, Justice Chin served in the Superior Court of Alameda County.

He began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney`s Office, then became a partner in an Oakland law firm specializing in commercial and commercial litigation. Justice Chin received his bachelor`s degree in political science and law from the University of San Francisco. After graduating from law school, Justice Chin served two years as a captain in the United States Army, including one year in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star. As this year`s ceremony drew to a close, we learned that our Mike McIlvaney, who was the lawyer involved in the Terryann case, had been selected for outstanding achievement that year. It was a secret Mike and two other members of our team had known about for a week and it was a complete surprise. We congratulate Mike on his award. To see what others, including Terryann, have said about him and Mike`s speech accepting the award, please click on the link You Tube:-www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIuqzBlh-z0&t=1h08m36s The Legal Aid Society suffered a terrible loss on July 1, 2016, when our beloved CFO, Sandra Scott, lost her valiant battle with cancer. Their courage, integrity and dedication are their legacy. The Sandra Scott Memorial Award for Excellence recognizes the dedication and excellence of a member of our central non-legal administrative staff. Willkie provides lawyers with many opportunities to provide pro bono legal advice and support to underserved individuals, communities and organizations.

Projects range from a four-month full-time commitment to representing clients from around the world seeking asylum here in the United States. We work closely with a number of legal aid organizations that connect lawyers with people in need and institutions that serve disadvantaged people. These organizations include: Recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the quality of justice and jurisprudence in California This year, after an impressive year, including success in a landmark Court of Appeal case involving far-reaching injunctions sought by a local authority in London, CLP`s Travel Advisory Team (TATs) nominated for the `Team of the Year` award. Full details of the case can be found on our website here: Â www.communitylawpartnership.co.uk/news/the-enshrined-right-to-travel-the-bromley-case. The TAT team came second in the LALYs against a very strong group of co-nominees. The awards are presented annually at our annual meeting. Recipients are selected by a committee composed of management, release and union representatives submitted by employees. Whether they are at the forefront of delivering direct client services or working on critical office operations, this year`s recipients have demonstrated efforts that go far beyond transforming our clients` lives.