Firm Honored at Second Annual Pro Bono Awards
Moore & Van Allen PLLC received an Outstanding Firm Service Award at the second annual Pro Bono Awards on September 17. Council for Children’s Rights (CFCR), Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont (LSSP), the region’s largest recipients of pro bono services, collaboratively hosted the event to “honor local attorneys and advocates who generously give their time and expertise to local underserved children, families and individuals in legal crisis.”
The Outstanding Firm Service Award recognizes firms whose longtime partnerships and creative contributions have increased the capacities of CFCR, LANC and LSSP in serving local individuals, families and children in need. Theodore Fillette of Legal Aid of North Carolina presented the award to Moore & Van Allen (MVA). Public Service Committee Chairman and Litigation Member Brian Heslin accepted on the Firm’s behalf.
MVA partners with LANC specifically on the Landlord Tenant Project, led by Litigation Member John Fagg. MVA attorney volunteers help tenants in the Charlotte community avoid homelessness and secure safe and habitable homes.
“The legal community is uniquely poised to serve the underserved by increasing their access to counsel and legal support. The attorneys at Moore & Van Allen feel compelled to resolutely uphold this corporate social responsibility,” Heslin stated. “It is an absolute honor to partner with these organizations, and to accept this award. Congratulations to all our legal partners who were recognized – we will make the greatest impact by uniting our efforts.”
In the past year, approximately 570 attorneys and advocates gave more than 8,200 pro bono hours to CFCR, LANC and LSSP, serving upwards of 800 local children, families and individuals in need and donating an equivalent of nearly $2 million in legal services.
The 2013 Pro Bono Awards, which were held at Foundation for the Carolinas, drew a crowd of more than 300 attorneys, judges, advocates and community members. At last year’s Pro Bono Awards, Litigation Member George Hanna received the inaugural Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award, a lifetime achievement honor recognizing an individual whose longstanding and exceptional dedication to pro bono legal service has made a meaningful impact on access to justice in the community and state.
Council for Children’s Rights leads the community to stand up for every child’s right to be safe, healthy and educated. The nonprofit serves over 2,500 children annually with expert legal representation and holistic advocacy. CFCR provides intervention for protection of individual rights and expert research, policy and community planning to improve the lives of all children.
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont’s mission is to assure a full measure of justice for those in need. LSSP provides a wide range of civil legal assistance to eligible low-income persons in the Charlotte metropolitan area and west-central NC.