Two Massachusetts Bar Foundation Fellows from opposite ends of the state were honored recently for their exemplary contributions to the MBF as volunteers for the IOLTA Grants Program.
John J. Carroll Jr., of Meehan, Boyle, Black and Bogdanow in Boston, was the recipient of the 2008 MBF President’s Award at the Eastern Massachusetts Grantee Reception in Boston on Sept. 25. David E. Sullivan, register of probate at the Hampshire County Probate and Family Court, was the recipient of the award at the Western Massachusetts Grantee Reception in Springfield on Oct. 15.
Both attorneys have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to expanding access to legal assistance to citizens of the commonwealth. In particular, they were honored by the MBF for many years of leadership and passion that they consistently bring to the IOLTA grant review process. They have donated countless hours to benefit the MBF grantees and assure the judicious distribution of IOLTA funds.
An Oliver Wendell Holmes Fellow, Carroll joined the MBF more than 10 years ago and has been a champion of the Foundation’s work ever since. Carroll’s passion for helping others began early in his career when he worked as a staff attorney advocating for the residents of a Native American reservation in South Dakota. His commitment to giving back, particularly in the legal community, runs deep and is evident by the numerous organizations for which he volunteers and supports.
Sullivan, a Life Fellow who joined the Foundation in 2002, is well known for working tirelessly to ensure that constituents in his community, and across the state, benefit from the promise of our legal system. Of his extensive record of community service, MBF President Laurence M. Johnson remarked that “David Sullivan is one of the rare individuals who not only believes in the call to community service, but he puts that belief into action, everyday.”
Carroll and Sullivan are two of more than 150 MBF Fellows who, in addition to their financial support, volunteer their time each year to ensure the judicious distribution of IOLTA funds to legal aid organizations across the state.
Additional information about the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and its IOLTA Grants Program, as well as a complete listing of the 2008-09 IOLTA grant recipients, is available on the MBF Web site at www.MassBarFoundation.org.