New York lawyers' efforts after 9/11 are being commemorated

New York Lawyer carries the following report about "the 9/11 Project."

It was, the lawyers agree, their finest hour. Yet in all the days and weeks and months and years since then — that horrible Tuesday morning of Sept. 11, 2001 — time has failed to heal all wounds. Their work is incomplete. And so these lawyers and other professionals who distinguished themselves as members of the "9/11 Project" by providing hope and succor to surviving family members of the most vulnerable victims of terrorist mass murder at the World Trade Center will gather again next Tuesday morning. They will talk of the people they served and continue to serve — the grieving spouses and children of 70 low-income restaurant and maintenance workers and security guards, nearly all of them immigrants from Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and South Asia — and they will receive copies of a newly published commemorative booklet of their work.

You can read it all here.

Good news for a change

Now here is the kind of editorial that warms my heart. The Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi deserves a heap of praise for delivering good news about lawyers to its readers.

And you think you have mortgage problems?

Here is some grim information about the kinds of problems Katrina victims are facing with their mortgages. Note the pro bono help being provided by the American Bar Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

The business case for pro bono is solid.

Although written a few years ago, Esther Lardent's Making the Business Case for Pro Bono still has legs. You can read it for yourself here.

The White Sox aren't the only thing happening in Chicago.

These are some real All Stars from our own profession.

Things are not getting better in Darfur.

This is discouraging news:

Citing increased violence in the region, the United Nations has announced it is pulling some of its staff out of Sudan's West Darfur state. "It's a precautionary measure because of the violence. Just in case one would need an evacuation, you'd have fewer people to evacuate," a UN spokeswoman said. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/13), ABC (Australia) (10/14)

Banding together is a good idea.

The State Bar of Texas may be onto something here:

Lawyers who specialize in the area of poverty law don't make big bucks, but it is a growing business. The State Bar of Texas, recognizing the growth, has created a Poverty Law Section to bring together these lawyers. That means lawyers who provide legal representation to the poor will have a network of associates across the state with whom to discuss ways to help their clients with their unique issues. It also creates a means of providing continuing legal education that focuses on poverty law. Individual lawyers provide thousands of hours in pro bono work every year. Across the state, legal aid organizations assist more than 99,000 low-income Texans annually with civil issues. Yet access to free legal assistance for the economically disadvantaged remains a problem for many. It is estimated that three out of four people who need legal assistance and qualify for free legal help do not get it because there are too few lawyers to provide the services. The Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation, formed by the Texas Supreme Court in 2001, is progressing in the effort to make more legal aid available by channeling funding from various sources to nonprofit organizations that provide legal aid. A network within the state bar for lawyers who work in the area of poverty law will help focus attention on the needs in this area of the law. Hopefully, it will also prompt more donors to open their pocketbooks to help fund legal aid organizations and encourage more pro bono work from corporate lawyers.

From the San Antonio Express-News

A pro bono filter for Supreme Court nominees?

Personally, I think it is about time that questions about past pro bono service become part of the vetting process for Supreme Court nominees. All of us should be doing our part to serve the public good. This is the surest way of enhancing the public's perception of lawyers.

Thanks, Blawg!

Blawg just helped us to spread the word about pro bono lawyers. We're very grateful here.

The golden rule of law in action.

Joe Kwiatowski is an outstanding example of the kind of lawyer we should all be proud to know. He is truly making a difference.

In-house lawyers deserve recognition for the pro bono work they do.

Corporate Pro Bono looks like a terrific resource for anyone wanting to know more about what in-house lawyers are doing on the pro bono front. This is a joint project of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Pro Bono Institute. (Esther Lardent at work again!)

A hat tip to Weil Gotshal

This is just great!

Here's a chance to nominate someone who deserves recognition

The National Law Journal is seeking nominations for 2005 pro bono awards. This is a great opportunity to give publicity to some pro bono lawyer out there who would never toot his/her own horn. Let the nominations begin!

Help us to spread the word.

We are interested in identifying and praising pro bono lawyers and bringing attention to the clients and causes they serve. We will focus upon lawyers, cases, essays, and other information related to pro bono work and its place in our society. Please help us by spreading the word about this new blog and by directing information to us which is consistent with our mission

Arizona Honors Go to Family Law Lawyer

This is old news about Arizona lawyer J. Vincent Gonzalez, but it's still pretty cool. Domestic violence victims need a lot of help indeed. We should all be proud of lawyers making a positive difference like Mr. Gonzalez.