January 31, 2022—Barclay Damon has been named by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) an Empire State Counsel® law firm honoree for the firm’s pro bono work in 2021. This designation is based on the total number of hours completed by attorneys at the firm who performed 50-plus pro bono hours throughout the year. It’s the fifth consecutive year Barclay Damon has received this designation.
Each year, NYSBA acknowledges the exemplary pro bono work of several law firms and individual attorneys as Empire State Counsel® honorees at its Justice for All award ceremony. This year, the ceremony was held virtually on January 27.
Through its multi-award-winning pro bono program, Barclay Damon dedicated more than 2,500 hours valued at over $800,000 to pro bono efforts in 2021, with attorneys and paralegals actively participating in firm-sponsored family court clinics, litigating civil rights violations, drafting wills for veterans, assisting with clemency applications, and providing online legal aid through initiatives such as the American Bar Association’s Free Legal Answers program.
“We are so proud that Barclay Damon continues to manifest these foundational values that we’ve held since our inception,” said Corey Auerbach, who served as pro bono partner through December 31, 2021, “and that these values are reflected collectively and individually through our pro bono service, which in 2021, like the four prior years, involved 100 percent participation by our full-time attorneys.”
For the first time in 2021, in addition to all full-time attorneys providing pro bono service, all of the firm’s full-time paralegals also provided pro bono service. For more on this achievement, see the press release here.
Jen Leonardi, the firm’s new pro bono partner, said, “We’re thrilled to receive this recognition from NYSBA. In a year filled with pro bono achievements, including joining the national Law Firm Antiracism Alliance and adding new pro bono community partners in our major market offices, we take it as support for the resources we gladly commit to giving back to our communities in this way.”
“While we are immensely proud of this acknowledgement of the total pro bono hours our firm has donated, this is more than a numbers game to us,” said Connie Cahill, managing partner. “We have service to our communities in our veins and in our history. We will always seek ways to offer pro bono services to the people and groups that need them. Every one of our clients, whether receiving pro bono or paid service, deserves and gets respectful, effective, and diligent counsel.”
Barclay Damon attorneys team across offices and practices to provide customized, targeted solutions grounded in industry knowledge and a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses. With nearly 300 attorneys, Barclay Damon is a leading law firm that operates from a strategic platform of offices located in the Northeastern United States and Toronto. For more information, visit our award-winning website at barclaydamon.com. Learn more about Barclay Damon’s pro bono program at barclaydamon.com/pro-bono.