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| Bar Bulletin |
June,
2003 |
| MSBA News |
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Equal Justice Council Applauds
Legal Services in
Maryland
By Janet Stidman Eveleth
On May 21, 2003,
the Equal Justice Council held its sixth annual Awards and Recognition
Breakfast honoring Maryland
attorneys for their outstanding contributions to the Legal Aid Bureau and
the state’s legal services community. Every year the Equal Justice Council
sponsors this event to thank the many Maryland lawyers and judges who
support legal services to the poor and contribute to the Council’s annual
giving campaign. It also applauds their substantial volunteer pro bono
efforts.
In 1997, the Legal
Aid Bureau of Maryland created this Council to enhance private funding for
legal aid across the state. Since that time, the Council has conducted an
annual “giving” campaign, successfully raising tens of thousands of
dollars for the Legal Aid Bureau. A significant amount is given by area
law firms and individual attorneys. The Council also works to increase
government funding for the Legal Aid Bureau.
“To date, we have
raised over $310,000 to support the Legal Aid Bureau through this year’s
campaign,” reported Decatur H. Miller, Chair of the Equal Justice Council.
“We have contributions from 50-plus law firms and hundreds of individual
lawyers. In addition, the Maryland Legal Services Corporation has given us
$250,000 in a matching grant. By the end of the campaign, I believe we
will raise thousands and thousands more.”
This year’s awards
breakfast, held at the Camden Yards Warehouse in Baltimore, was emceed by
Pamela J. White, a partner at Ober, Kaler, Grimes and Shriver and past
president of the Maryland State Bar Association. MSBA was well
represented by President James P. Nolan, President-Elect Harry S. Johnson
and Executive Director Paul V. Carlin.
“MSBA stands for
professionalism, civility and service, and this is reflected in our
members’ support of legal services to Maryland’s poor,” announced Nolan.
Johnson added, “MSBA supports the Equal Justice Council and we are proud
to be associated with the Legal Aid Bureau’s Executive Director, Wilhelm
H. Joseph, Jr., who does a great job.” He commended the audience, stating
“you are role models; you hold high standards to which we should all
aspire.”
Stephen H. Sachs, a
partner with Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, was the guest speaker. “Lawyers
are central players at the heart of our democracy,” he proclaimed. Sachs
spoke on the value of lawyers giving back to the community.
The Honorable
Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland, praised
the contributions judges make in the area of legal services and recognized
Judge Dale Cathell, Court of Appeals, for donating the proceeds from a
book he published to the Equal Justice Council. Bell
also recognized “MSBA and all of the lawyers who work hard and support the
legal services community. We play a guardianship role with respect to the
rule of law. It is a fragile thing, and lawyers are responsible for
protecting it.”
Award winners
included: Patricia McGowan, Young Lawyers Division Award; Baltimore County
Bar Association, Pacesetters Award; Venable, Baetjer & Howard, LLP,
Trailblazer Award; Robert B. Kershaw and Issac Hecht (posthumously)
Champions of Justice Award; and Frank Broccolina, Executive Director’s
Award.
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