The last week of October is Legal Pro Bono week. In light of the week-long event, the New Jersey State Bar Association will host their 9th Annual Pro Bono Conference on October 24th, 2018. The 2018 winners of pro bono awards will be honored at the event, which will showcase exemplary legal pro bono work done by New Jersey attorneys. [1]
Recipients of the prestigious awards are attorneys who selflessly put their paying jobs on hold, to offer legal aid and assistance to people caught in immigration conflicts, victims of human trafficking, and child refugees. [2] Because they had capable attorneys by their side, these vulnerable people were able to shine bright in the face of injustice, and navigate an otherwise frightening legal system. There are three award categories, each honoring an outstanding attorney or firm. The categories are Individual Award, New Attorney Award, and Law Firm/Corporate Counsel Award.
One of the cases requiring legal aid involved an Afghan national who had been granted asylum for aiding the US government with valuable information about his country. [3] This embroiled him in an immigration quagmire, which pro bono immigration attorney, Scott Camilo, handled smoothly. On behalf of ACLU-NJ, Camilo worked tirelessly to resolve the case, which spanned 14 months, to secure the Afghan national asylum in the United States. To honor the commendable work that Scott Camilo put in for this case, he will receive the Individual Award.
Rising attorney Brian Biglin will receive the New Attorney Award for hitting the ground running with pro bono work as soon as he became a lawyer. When he joined Duane Morris in 2015 and discovered they had a pro bono department, Biglin chose it immediately and jumped right to work. He secured the interests and rights of a disabled inmate in a county jail, besides working on other successful pro bono cases.
Finally, attorneys of the Prudential Financial corporate legal department will get the Law Firm/Corporate Counsel Award. Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, who nominated the legal department, stated that the Prudential Financial legal department “exemplifies a commitment to, and passion, for helping some of the most underserved populations in New Jersey.” In all, 71 Prudential attorneys took part in nearly 50 clinics in 2017.
Links
- https://tcms.njsba.com/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1813
- https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2018/10/08/bar-report-njsba-pro-bono-awards-recognize-lawyers-who-serve-the-underserved-and-vulnerable/
- https://www.aclu-nj.org/news/2018/05/09/afghan-refugee-freed-after-unjust-yearlong-detention
- https://www.prudential.com/links/about/corporate-social-responsibility/community-engagement
