Dear Friends, 

Happy February! On behalf of the City Bar Justice Center, I hope that 2025 is off to a positive start for you, your colleagues, and loved ones.

The final months of 2024 were a busy time for the Justice Center. In October, we held an in-person celebration for nine recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award. This newsletter will include a spotlight on one of those volunteers, Timothy C. Nash. A month later we held our ninth annual Veterans Day Breakfast and Ethics CLE. More than 50 volunteers attended the "Ethics of Representing Veterans & Survivors Before the Department of Veterans Affairs" CLE, and the event raised a record-breaking $63,000 for the Veterans Assistance Project ahead of our annual year-end giving campaign. 

This newsletter will also detail big changes in store for our Legal Clinic for the Homeless, which we’re renaming the Shelter Advocacy Project as the City Bar Justice Center continues its mission to adapt to the evolving legal needs of our clients. We're also excited to announce that our 20th Annual Gala, Building Bridges | Brighter Futures, will take place on Wednesday, April 9. Please join us as we honor the pro bono work and community impact of Sidley Austin, JPMorgan Chase, and former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. 

Thank you for your loyal support over the last year. As the national political landscape undergoes massive change, the City Bar Justice Center remains strong and committed to serving as a trusted pro bono leader in our legal community and a go-to resource for New Yorkers in need.

Best regards, 

Kurt M. Denk 

Executive Director 



SPECIAL FEAUTURES

On October 22, 2024, the City Bar Justice Center held its 2024 Celebrate Pro Bono Awards ceremony at the New York City Bar Association. This year, nine volunteers were nominated to receive the 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award for their remarkable commitment to our clients and for championing our team's mission to advance access to justice. Read more here.

On November 13, 2024, the City Bar Justice Center hosted its 9th Annual Veterans Day Breakfast and Ethics CLE to support the work of the Veterans Assistance Project (VAP), celebrating its 17th year of service. In addition to being a compelling CLE event and networking opportunity, the event raised a record-breaking $63,000 for VAP! Read more here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Save the date! We are excited to announce the City Bar Justice Center’s 20th Annual Gala, “Building Bridges | Brighter Futures” - to be held the evening of Wednesday, April 9, honoring JP Morgan Chase and Sidley Austin for their dedication to pro bono work, particularly with our Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project’s mission to provide free legal support to New Yorkers of limited economic means who seek to achieve financial stability through entrepreneurship.

For the first time ever, we’re also celebrating an individual honoree, former U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. Get tickets and sponsorship information on our Gala website.

Project refresh! The Legal Clinic for the Homeless (LCH) will now be known as the Shelter Advocacy Project (SAP). Beyond rebranding, the name change accompanies a shift in program priorities to address unmet legal needs for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Read more here.

SPOTLIGHTS

Our projects have worked with both clients & volunteers throughout the year to resolve multiple legal issues. Read about them below:

Timothy C. Nash, Jr., Assistant General Counsel at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, volunteers with the Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project. Check out this Volunteer Spotlight.

Following the death of her brother, "Jessica" reached out to the Planning and Estates Law Project for help navigating surrogate's court. Click here for further information on her story.

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