Jul., 2011 - Mecklenburg County Bar

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Tiffany Arrott Loyola University, Chicago Chicago – Kent College of Law Leigha G. Blackwell University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill University of South Carolina School of Law Natalie A. Blakeney University of Florida Howard University School of Law Asya Bynum Lincoln University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Lesley M. Cedrone Wheaton College New England School of Law Jennifer L. Cianciolo Bowling Green State University Ohio Northern School of Law Katherine E. Costello Bucknell University Loyola University Law School Robert W. Cuffney SUNY Geneseo Charlotte School of Law Marco E. Duque Catholic University Suffolk University Law School Gonzalo E. Frias University of Florida American University Washington College of Law Kristen M. Goetz Syracuse University Florida Coastal School of Law Meredith E. Green Furman University Wake Forest University School of Law Laura B. Greene Allegheny College University of Toledo College of Law Elizabeth A. Grymes Northwestern University Charlotte School of Law Judith S. Haensel SUNY Oswego University of Muenster School of Law/ Wake Forest University School of Law Clinton C. Hicks II University of North Carolina – Wilmington North Carolina Central University School of Law William L. Holby University of Richmond Vanderbilt University School of Law Samuel L. Janniere University of South Carolina Howard University School of Law Troy J. Huth University of South Carolina Charlotte School of Law Lesley T. Keith North Carolina State University Charlotte School of Law Kristen M. Lewis Georgia State University Wake Forest University School of Law Jeffrey P. Martin Colgate University Charlotte School of Law Matthew V. Matinata Virginia Tech Barry University School of Law Whitney G. Maxwell Virginia Tech Liberty University School of Law Blanche K. McBride University of South Carolina University of South Carolina School of Law Rebecca T. McNerney Clemson University University of South Carolina School of Law Rachel E. Miller Kaplan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Nina Moulas Auburn University at Montgomery, Alabama Samford University, Cumberland School of Law Colleen E. Mulcrone University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill American University Washington College of Law Mark A. Noel University of Kentucky University of Kentucky College of Law, University of Miami School of Law Matthew E. Orso University of Dayton Saint Louis University School of Law David A. Rea University of Central Florida Wake Forest University School of Law Brian Roberts University of California, San Diego Wake Forest University School of Law Brian A. Romano Princeton University Notre Dame Law School Stephen J. Romeo Villanova University Widener University School of Law Sarah B. Rose University of North Carolina – Wilmington Campbell University School of Law Kristina A. Scally University of Georgia Washburn University School of Law Blaine W. Schmidt Queens University of Charlotte University of North Carolina School of Law Shailika K. Shah University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill University of North Carolina School of Law Brendan M. Shea North Carolina State University Charlotte School of Law James W. Sheedy Davidson College University of South Carolina School of Law Michael D. Spies College of William & Mary William & Mary School of Law Jonathan M. Watkins Lehigh University Fordham University School of Law Daniel E. Wall University of North Carolina – Charlotte Capital University Law School Andrew M. Weiss Ball State University Indiana University School of Law Anna H. Winger North Carolina State University Vermont Law School John C. Woodman Flagler College Wake Forest University School of Law www.MeckBar.org July 2011 9
MCB Volunteer Lawyer Program 2011 Pro Bono Awards Seven pro bono awards were distributed this year at the MCB Annual Meeting held in Marshall Park on May 19, 2011. MCB Executive Director Nancy M. Roberson announced the awards as MCB President A. Todd Brown presented the awards to the winners. These attorneys exemplify the status of attorneys as “public citizen[s] having special responsibility for the quality of justice” as written in the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct. Hunton & Williams received the Outstanding Large Firm award for its ongoing commitment to pro bono in Mecklenburg County. In 2010, the Charlotte office contributed more than 2,400 hours to pro bono – averaging 82 pro bono hours per attorney. They obtained these outstanding numbers through innovative programs relevant to the need in the community including the Council for Children’s Rights Custody Advocacy Program and Legal Aid of North Carolina’s SSI Disability Program. Hatcher Law Group was presented the Outstanding Small Firm award for their commitment to assisting the victims of domestic violence in Mecklenburg County. This nine-attorney firm has shown continued dedication to Victim’s Assistance by taking one pro bono case per week since 2007 and contributing more than 175 hours this past year. They also lead trainings on representing victims of domestic violence so other attorneys can assist this population as well as giving monthly family law seminars for women at the Mecklenburg County Women’s Commission. William L. Esser IV of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP won the Outstanding Individual Attorney award after being nominated by Legal Aid of North Carolina and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont for his decade-long affiliation with both organizations. His work has spanned many areas including low-income clients in housing, wills, consumer and tax cases. One of his most inspiring cases took eight years to complete and included filing a lawsuit against a landlord on behalf of his client which the landlord never paid. His clients were forced to move out and subsequently, lost touch with Will. Eventually, the landlord paid the final judgment. Upon notification, Will began the tedious process of tracking down a lost client. After just a few days he found her and was able to give her the check. This is just one example of his dedication – when urgent cases are turned down due to firm conflicts, Will makes the effort to find another attorney to assist the client. As Ken Schorr, Executive Director of Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and Ted Fillette, Senior Managing Attorney of Legal Aid of North Carolina explained, “He exemplifies the spirit of pro bono service.” These attorneys exemplify the status of attorneys as “public citizen[s] having special responsibility for the quality of justice” Corey Rose of Dechert LLP received the MCB Volunteer Lawyer Program Pro Bono Award on behalf of Legal Aid of North Carolina. He donated 325 pro bono hours in 2010 to Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Landlord/Tenant project. More than 150 of those hours were dedicated to a grandmother caring for her four grandchildren who moved into an apartment with numerous defects. When the landlord filed for back rent and summary ejectment, Corey’s client was awarded more than $7000 in damages. According to his nomination, Corey does not differentiate between his business clients and his pro bono clients, treating them “with the same professionalism and dignity” and “preparing each case as meticulously as he would a complex regulatory issue.” Robert J. Hahn of Hunton & Williams received the MCB Volunteer Lawyer Program Pro Bono Award on behalf of Legal Services of Southern Piedmont. Bob dedicated more than 275 pro bono service hours and closed 12 cases in 2010. This number eclipsed the number of pro bono cases closed by any other volunteer for LSSP in 2010. Bob’s dedication to benefits cases is impressive – he spent more than 60 hours on a case from which a previous attorney had withdrawn and was able to acquire benefits for a young boy with a severe form of sickle cell anemia. As one client explained about Bob, he is a “good, good man and I thank God he is a good attorney too.” Melissa Davis Wright of Melissa Wright Law, PLLC received the MCB Volunteer Lawyer Program Pro Bono Award on behalf of Council for Children’s Rights due to her dedication in the last year to CFCR, but more importantly to two children ensnared in a very difficult custody case, in which both parents and both children experienced psychological problems of varying degrees of severity. Melissa is thoroughly reliable in her dealings with CFCR staff, the children, their parents and the court. She spent in excess of 100 hours on behalf of these children – a large contribution for any lawyer but particularly for a sole practitioner like Melissa. Jennifer Turner of Hedrick, Gardner, Kincheloe & Garofalo received the Jane V. Harper Pro Bono Award for service to the 26th Judicial District SelfServe Center as a dedicated member of the SelfServe Center’s Attorney for the Day Program. She has selflessly given the program more than 30 hours of service from March 2010 through March 2011 – the most of any attorney in that time period. These hours include the Attorney for the Day Program and Supervising Custody / Divorce Clinics at the Charlotte School of Law. Jennifer treats each litigant with respect and values their individual situation. Over the past year she has received excellent ratings on all of the evaluations provided by litigants of the Attorney for the Day Program, the litigants also expressed how helpful she was during the consultation. 10 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org
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Jul., 2011 - Mecklenburg County Bar

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