The Massachusetts Bar Association's Access to Justice Awards
will honor five attorneys and one law firm, recognizing their
exemplary legal skills and service to the community, at its 2014
Annual Dinner at the Westin Boston Waterfront hotel on Thursday,
May 15.
RISING STAR AWARD
Jessica Berry, Children's Law Center of
Massachusetts
Jessica Berry, a staff attorney at the Children's
Law Center of Massachusetts, goes above and beyond in every case,
leaving no stone unturned. As an advocate for young people, she
brings unmatched personal dedication and commitment to her clients,
both inside and outside the courthouse.
In one instance, Berry met with a 21-year-old homeless woman
with significant mental health issues who was in danger of losing
custody of her child. Berry calmed the client, made numerous calls
to homeless shelters and then drove the client halfway across the
state to a shelter with a vacancy. She then prepared an
appropriate, safe plan to present to the Department of Children and
Families to prevent the baby's removal. Work like this isn't
anecdotal for Berry; it's what she does day in and day out.
(Photo by Philip-Lauren Photography)
LEGAL SERVICES AWARD
Gerald Wall, Greater Boston Legal Services
Gerald Wall may well be more invested
in his work than any other attorney in the commonwealth. When he
first started handling immigration cases with Greater Boston Legal
Services, a large percentage of them involved El Salvadorian
refugees seeking asylum in the United States from violence and
death squads during their home country's civil war. Not only did
Wall advocate for many of these individuals, he and his wife
pursued adoption, ultimately bringing in to their family a
3-year-old son and 21-month-old daughter.
Wall has spent his entire 40-year career as a legal services
lawyer. Now the most senior attorney in GBLS' Immigration Unit, he
credits his longevity to both the satisfaction he gets from making
a direct impact on real clients, and the "hard work and collegial
nature" of his like-minded co-workers.
(Photo by Philip-Lauren Photography)
PRO BONO AWARD FOR LAW FIRMS
Klein Hornig LLP
Klein
Hornig LLP, this year's recipient of the Access to Justice Pro Bono
Award for Law Firms, has found a way to successfully balance
business interests while also bettering the community at large. The
firm was founded on the idea that a strong community makes for a
strong people. While its lawyers focus exclusively on affordable
housing and community development, the firm strongly encourages
them to do pro bono work in their communities, even if it's outside
the scope of their traditional work.
The firm's lawyers have worked on projects involving housing tax
credits, Section 8 rental assistance and tax exempt bonds. They
also provided assistance to the Coalition of Occupied Homes in
Foreclosure, which purchases foreclosed homes, allowing homeowners
and tenants to remain. At Klein Hornig, each and every day is
filled with work aimed at bettering communities and fighting for
the public good - and then they go out of their way to do some of
it for free.
(Photo by Jeff Thiebauth)
PRO BONO PUBLICO AWARD
Stephen Phillips, Dunn and Phillips PC
For the past 13 years, attorney Stephen Phillips
has worked with more than 130 hospice patients at Baystate Visiting
Nurse & Hospice, where he has assisted them with everything
from drafting wills to counseling on end-of-life matters. But
sometimes his greatest work comes when he just spends time with
them to watch a Red Sox/Yankee game.
Phillips is this year's Access to Justice Pro Bono Publico Award
Winner. His skill at addressing the legal needs of hospice patients
is only surpassed by his reputation for going outside the role of
counsel when he feels that's what his clients need. Calling pro
bono an "honor, not a chore," Phillips says the times when he's had
the "honor of feeding a hospice patient" or adjusted their bed are
some of the best things about working with his pro bono
clients.
(Photo by Denise Smith)
DEFENDER AWARD
James B. Krasnoo, Krasnoo | Klehm LLP
Defense attorney James B. Krasnoo started his legal
career at the Attorney General's office and always knew he wanted
to be a trial attorney. But when he began to see the problems of
inadequate defense, he found himself drawn -- or pulled -- into the
work of a bar advocate. A career later, Krasnoo is still fighting
for his clients for the same reasons he started all those years
ago.
Krasnoo has won his share of big cases, but his impact on
clients extends well beyond his reported matters. He is widely
regarded as a zealous advocate who sees the best in all people.
Krasnoo also serves as a mentor to other lawyers, and he says:
"Find someone you can call once you've read over the police report,
someone who you can bounce ideas off of and who will tell you what
they think."
(Photo by Philip-Lauren Photography)
PROSECUTOR AWARD
Lisa Edmonds, District Attorney's Office for the Cape and
Islands
As a prosecutor, Lisa Edmonds has been
blazing a trail for others to follow for more than 15 years. In
1999, she spearheaded the creation of a Juvenile Diversion Program,
which allowed first time nonviolent youth offenders to preserve
their record by engaging in community service, counseling and
showing personal responsibility. Offenders sign a contract with the
DA's office, and upon its fulfillment, avoid the negative
externalities of a criminal record. It's a model that has since
been replicated by others.
Since becoming Chief of the Domestic Violence unit, she has
implemented a High Risk Task Force, which brings together law
enforcement, social service agencies, domestic violence advocates
and the DA's office to identify and target cases where there is a
great risk of homicide or an escalation of violence.
(Photo by Jeff Thiebauth)