New York State Pro Bono Opportunities Guide
Pro Bono
Public Interest Projects
New York Lawyer
December 17, 2004
By Thomas Adcock
New York Law Journal
'Adopt a Nonprofit' Program
"What nonprofit doesn't need that kind of help?" Help from a volunteer general counsel, that is.
The question was asked by Linda Cox, executive director of the Bronx River Alliance, a group dedicated to restoring and protecting the river's corridor and greenway. And the answer became "Adopt a Nonprofit: Pro Bono General Counsel," the latest initiative from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.
In her case, said Ms. Cox, "Winston & Strawn has really expressed a wonderful openness to being consulted." The best part of the new long-term, general counsel model, she added, is her ability to call on the law firm without having to prioritize its legal needs — and without having to wait until a legal matter becomes critical.
Winston attorneys on-call to the Bronx River group are partners John H. Denne and John Fehrenbach, and associate Michael A. Sirgado.
The program has also matched the firm Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal with the Fortune Society, which is engaged in public education about prisons and the root causes of crime.
Wendy Seligson, deputy executive director of the Fortune Society, works with Sonnenschein lawyers Jordana G. Schwartz, Frances H. Kleiner, Gina M. Cavalier, Cliona A. Levy and Jacqueline H. Finnegan.
Paul Weiss Aids Birth Center
In another project brokered by New York Lawyers, attorneys from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison have been working for the past year to pick up the pieces after the Elizabeth Seton Childbearing Center was forced to close when its malpractice insurance was canceled.
Staff members then formed Friends of the Birth Center, with the goal of reopening Elizabeth Seton at some future point. Paul Weiss attorneys Rachel J. Harris and Alan S. Halperin have worked with Maria Freytsis, president of Friends, to incorporate and obtain tax-exempt status.
Modern Courts Awards
Two legal services agencies that make use of non-attorney volunteers from law firms were given awards by the Fund for Modern Courts during a Dec. 8 reception at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Honored were Prison Families of New York, an Albany-based advocacy group, and inMotion of Manhattan, an assistance program for low-income women who are victims of domestic violence.
Each organization earned the Samuel J. Duboff Award, named for the late chairman of the fund's executive committee. Shelley C. Chapman, a partner at Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, accepted the award on behalf of inMotion. Alison Coleman, director of Prison Families, accepted for her group.
Pro Bono for Long Island
The more than 50 in-house attorneys and paralegals at Computer Associates International of Islandia will now have pro bono opportunities through a partnership with the Suffolk Legal Aid Society and Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee. The Computer Associates volunteer lawyers will serve low-income residents of Long Island on a range of issues including child abuse and neglect, adoption, disability benefits, wills and bankruptcies.
Kenneth V. Handal, executive vice president and general counsel of Computer Associates, said commitment to pro bono has been established with the creation of a new division of the company, the Worldwide Law Department.
Mr. Handal said the division also would work with the Uniondale firm Farrell Fritz to assist with formation of Long Island not-for-profit organizations.
Adoption Week
In conjunction with the New York County Family Court, the Legal Aid Society of New York, MFY Legal Services and the legal department of Pfizer, Inc., four attorneys from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft took part in last month's "New York City Adoption Week."
Cadwalader associates Alyssa F. Vazquez and Jeffrey Weissmann, and partner Harry P. Cohen — along with Danielle Roffman, an associate who recently left the firm — found permanent homes for children formerly in foster care. Their efforts were part of the "Adoption Now" initiative launched in May 2003 by New York Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye and the Family Court bench.
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