PRO BONO PROFILE
"Maryland Bar Announces 2004 Pro Bono Service Awards"
By Sharon E. Goldsmith
Once a year, the Pro Bono
Resource Center of Maryland has the unique privilege of recognizing
lawyers, judges and others in the legal profession for distinguished pro
bono service to the community. This year, nine recipients will be awarded
the Maryland Pro Bono Service Awards. These honorees have worked zealously
to help a stranger, assist a distressed neighborhood and ensure that equal
access to justice is a reality for those who would otherwise have slipped
through the cracks. The dedication, persistence and compassion exhibited
by these lawyers, law firms and organizations determined to make a
difference set an example for the legal profession. At the Maryland State
Bar Association’s (MSBA) Annual Meeting in Ocean City on June 19, the
Maryland Pro Bono Service Awards will be presented to the following
recipients. Here are some of their stories.
Individual Lawyer Awards
Hillary Galloway Davis of the Law Offices of Davis and Associates
knows how challenging it is to find lawyers willing to represent
incarcerated indigent men and women even for relatively simple civil
matters. This fuels her motivation to represent these clients, which she
has done for over 15 years. The cases are referred through the non-profit
organization Alternative Directions. One of the most difficult obstacles
for those attempting to reenter society after a period of imprisonment is
the overwhelming arrearages for child support. Because of Davis’s
individual pro bono representation, the Court of Appeals ruled in Wills
v. Jones that a responsible parent who is incarcerated may adjust the
child support modification while in prison. This landmark change in the
law has made a significant difference for hundreds of (former) inmates who
can now seek employment and realistically work on supporting their
children.
Like most counties,
Harford County has its share of domestic disputes, particularly those in
which at least one party cannot afford an attorney. In those instances,
lack of access to funds frequently means lack of access to justice. But
the Harford County Bar Foundation, a local pro bono referral program,
knows that it can rely upon attorney David McGill to represent
clients who cannot otherwise afford to hire legal counsel in some of its
most difficult divorce and custody cases. The clients frequently have
mental health issues as well. Rather than turn the clients away, McGill
manages to steer them through the process with extraordinary patience and
professionalism. In 2003 alone, McGill accepted 15 cases on a pro bono
basis through the program.
Young associates at large
law firms are under substantial pressure to perform and maintain their
billable hour requirement. In that sense, Michael Hecht of Venable
LLP is no exception. Yet Hecht’s dedication to pro bono work is
exceptional. In one child custody case, he represented a client for over
two-and-a-half years, ultimately not only obtaining a positive result but
also teaching his client how to stand up for herself and pursue certain
legal remedies on her own. In addition to cases referred by the Maryland
Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), Hecht works on federal criminal cases,
veterans’ issues and contract matters for several local churches. Hecht
estimates that he spends 250 hours per year on various pro bono issues.
Since the late 1980s,
Michael Pretl has helped the Community Law Center develop common law
nuisance suits to improve the quality of life for Baltimore City
residents. He worked on his first vacant housing case in Harlem Park in
1988 and eventually obtained the appointment of a receiver to transfer the
property to a party who would develop it into a home for three families.
He has also helped draft articles of incorporation and bylaws for several
non-profit organizations, acquired 501(c) (3) status for other entities,
helped another organization reorganize its debt, filed zoning appeals on
behalf of neighborhood associations and prevented foreclosure in a
flipping case. The General Counsel for the American Urological Association
has continued his volunteer community work for so long due to his
unwavering commitment to revitalizing poor Baltimore neighborhoods and
instilling a sense of economic and social viability in the inner city.
Alex Fee Memorial Award
This award, co-sponsored by the MSBA Young Lawyers Section, is named after
the two-year-old son of an outstanding pro bono lawyer, Ed Fee.
Susan Euteneuer
typically represents insurance companies. Her expertise has, therefore,
proven invaluable to low-income people either seeking insurance or
appealing denials of coverage. In one instance, Euteneuer represented a
mentally-ill teenager in an effort to obtain adequate coverage for
treatment and health-related services so the family could keep the child
with them in their home. Her experience with the teen convinced her to
design a plan for educating mental health care professionals regarding
insurance coverage and benefit many more individuals in need. The attorney
from Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz also uses her legal knowledge and skills
to assist non-profits with insurance issues.
Sharon E. Goldsmith is Executive Director of the Pro Bono Resource
Center of Maryland.
