Moore & Van Allen and Fagg Honored by Legal Aid of North Carolina- Charlotte
Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce it will receive the 2015 Outstanding Firm Pro Bono Service Award from Legal Aid of North Carolina-Charlotte. Litigation Member John Fagg will receive the 2015 Individual Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award. Both will be recognized at the fourth annual Pro Bono Awards ceremony on October 20, 2015.
“It is an honor to be recognized for our commitment to pro bono service by our long-standing partner, Legal Aid of North Carolina,” said Moore & Van Allen Public Service Committee Chairman and Litigation Member Brian Heslin. “Moore & Van Allen recognizes and values our responsibility to ensure the law is not a commodity limited to those who can afford it. We are proud to work alongside Legal Aid of North Carolina to serve the legal needs of low-income individuals in our community.”
Moore & Van Allen’s Public Service Committee, established in 2001, leads the Firm’s public service and pro bono efforts by identifying, coordinating, and facilitating opportunities for MVA attorneys and staff. In 2014, MVA attorneys and staff collectively donated more than 11,000 pro bono and public service hours.
Fagg will be honored for his service to and leadership of the Housing Rights Project. Since 2010, he has been a leader of the Housing Rights Project in partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina. The program enables attorney volunteers to help tenants in Charlotte avoid homelessness and secure safe, habitable homes. Housing Rights attorneys help minimize the disruption to family life caused by an emergency relocation and stop predatory practices of unscrupulous landlords.
“John Fagg was the key leader at Moore & Van Allen in the Housing Rights Project with Legal Aid of North Carolina for the past several years,” said Legal Aid of North Carolina-Charlotte Senior Managing Attorney Theodore Fillette. “He handled numerous individual cases in which he was able to prevent homelessness of families and prevent others from suffering unhealthy and unsafe housing. John’s exemplary work made a major difference in the lives of many of Charlotte’s needy and vulnerable residents.”
Fagg manages a group of more than 20 attorneys at Moore & Van Allen who provide pro bono service to the Housing Rights Project. Under his direction, the project has increased its caseload, accepting three landlord-tenant matters each month referred by Legal Aid of North Carolina.
Held at the Foundation for the Carolinas, the Pro Bono Awards are hosted by Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, and the Council for Children’s Rights. The event honors local attorneys and advocates who give their time and experience to underserved children, families and individuals in legal crisis.