Moore & Van Allen Receives Top NC Bar Recognitions
The North Carolina Bar Association has named Moore & Van Allen the recipient of the 2012 Larger Law Firm Pro Bono Award. In addition, Corporate Member Dumont Clarke, VI has been named a recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award. Moore & Van Allen and Clarke will be presented with their respective awards at the NCBA Annual Meeting in Wilmington on June 22.
“Moore & Van Allen’s emphasis on pro bono service is a long-standing value of the firm and we continue to invest in our community by providing quality legal services for those in need,” stated George Hanna, Charlotte Litigation Member and Chair of MVA’s Public Service Committee. “It is an honor to be jointly nominated for the recognition by our longtime partners, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and Legal Aide of North Carolina. We consider it our privilege to work with both organizations. Additionally, we are thrilled for Dumont to be named Citizen Lawyer, as our community has benefited significantly from his persistent, heartfelt work for years.”
The Citizen Lawyer Award was established to recognize lawyers who provide exemplary public service to their communities. Clarke has been practicing law for 34 years. Fueled by his passion to advance the public school system, he sought and gained a seat on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners in 2000. Now in his sixth term of service, he continues to take an active role in leading efforts that improve the quality of life for Charlotte residents. In addition to his service improving public education, he has worked tirelessly to enhance services that support healthy lifestyles within our community. Clarke also serves or has served for the State Judicial Council, The North Carolina Arboretum, Council for Children’s Rights and Centralina Council of Governments.
MVA was named the Pro Bono Award winner mainly based on firm attorneys’ work with Legal Aid of North Carolina and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont. MVA accepted more cases than any other firm in both private landlord/tenant and wills project areas for the two organizations.
A primary method of pro bono work is through the Landlord-Tenant project. Each month, MVA attorneys interview three new clients with a range of housing problems. At the conclusion of the interviews, clients who need representation are assigned attorneys. The firm provides training, mentoring and coaching, as well as obtaining excellent results for clients.
MVA also participates in the Legal Services for the Elderly program, assisting Legal Services of Southern Piedmont with approximately one-third of its new cases each month. Beginning in early 2010, MVA committed to accept a minimum of three new pro bono wills cases each month.