Pro Bono Awards and Nominations

The Chairpersons of the Access to Justice Committee have announced that nominations for the 2009 Louisiana State Bar Association Pro Bono Awards are being accepted.

The 2009 awards will be presented in several categories:

Friend of Pro Bono Award
The Friend of Pro Bono Award recognizes individuals (attorneys or non-attorneys), law firms or organizations making major contributions to the enhancement and promotion of pro bono legal services to the poor.

Eligibility: Any individual (attorney or non-attorney), law firm, or organization that has made a major contribution to the enhancement and promotion of pro bono legal services to the poor. The direct provision of legal services is not to be considered for this award. Public interest law firms and their employees are not eligible for this award. For the purposes of this award, a public interest law firm is defined a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is the provision of legal services to the poor.

 Download Friend of Pro Bono Award Nomination Form


Law Student Award
The Law Student Pro Bono Award was established two years to recognize law students from an American Bar Association-accredited law school in Louisiana who have demonstrated a dedication to providing legal services to the poor. In acknowledgement of student efforts, the Louisiana Bar Foundation provides a monetary award to law student award recipients.

Eligibility: Any law student from an ABA accredited law school in the state of Louisiana who has demonstrated a dedication to providing legal services to the poor. The student must be in good academic standing, meet his or her law school's requirements regarding public interest involvement and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Initiates a new program
• Models for other volunteers
• Is involved in either one or more Pro Bono Programs
• Provides Leadership
• Participates in other activities while in law school (i.e., non- legal community service, fund-raising, etc).

One award may be given at each of the four Louisiana Law Schools

 Download Law Student Award Nomination Form


Pro Bono Award
The Pro Bono Award recognizes Louisiana attorneys and firms who have provided pro bono legal services to Louisiana residents in excess of the aspirational goal of 50 hours of pro bono services per year.

Eligibility: Any Louisiana attorney, or attorney who has provided pro bono legal services to the citizens of Louisiana, that meets or exceeds the aspirational goal of providing 50 hours of pro bono services per year, as established in Rule 6.1 of Louisiana's Rules of Professional Conduct.

Any law firm located in Louisiana or providing pro bono legal services to the citizens of Louisiana. Hours of pro bono services as established by Rule 6.1 will be strongly considered by the awards committee in reviewing a law firm's application. Though primary consideration will be given to pro bono work completed during the immediate past calendar year, the committee may also consider a law firm's history of pro bono services. The pro bono volunteer, or the services provided, should have at least one of the following characteristics:

• Demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to the poor through a pro bono program;
• Contributed significantly toward developing innovative approaches to delivering volunteer legal services;
• Satisfied previously unmet needs extending services to underserved segments of the population;
• Litigated pro bono cases that favorably affect the provision of legal services to the poor; or
• Achieved legislation that contributed substantially to legal services for the poor.

 Download Pro Bono Award Nomination Form


Career Public Interest Award
The Career Public Interest Award recognizes individuals (attorneys or non-attorneys) in Louisiana who have devoted at least 10 years of their careers to public interest legal work.

Eligibility: Any individual (attorney or non-attorney) in the state of Louisiana who has:

• Devoted at least 10 years of his/her career to public interest legal work;
• Demonstrated excellence in his/her work, demonstrated leadership within his/her organization; and
• Provided significant service on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.

 Download Career Public Interest Award Nomination Form


David A. Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award
The David A. Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals whose work demonstrates a life-long commitment to the provision of legal services to the poor and to the significantly enhancement of the pro bono movement.

Eligibility: Any Louisiana attorney practicing for at least 15 years who has:

• Demonstrated a commitment to the provision of legal services to the poor;
• Made significant contributions to enhance the pro bono movement in Louisiana over his/her lifetime; and
• Has shown significant leadership and service on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.

In addition, the candidate's participation in collaborative efforts of the state justice community will be considered.

 Download David A. Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award Nomination Form



For an explanation of what information must be included with a nomination, please download the relevant form. A nomination form must be completed for each nominee. Nominations may be submitted for a single category only.

Submit your completed nomination forms and supplemental material:

• via email to Monte Mollere,
• via fax at (504) 566-0930, or
• via mail to Monte Mollere, 601 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130.

Nominations and supporting documentation must be received by 4:30 p.m. on February 27, 2009