In recognition of outstanding commitment to providing volunteer legal
services for the poor and disadvantaged in Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial
Court Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services presented the ninth annual
Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards to the Boston law firm of McDermott Will &
Emery LLP with special recognition to partners Melissa Nott Davis and Edward P.
Leibensperger; Attorney Kathleen McGrath of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company,
Boston; and Attorney Alfred C. Phillips, a volunteer with MetroWest Legal
Services.
Supreme Judicial Court Justice Francis X. Spina, who presented the awards to
the recipients at a ceremony in the Seven-Justice Courtroom in the John Adams
Courthouse, said, "As citizens of the Commonwealth continue to face
challenging economic circumstances, the need for pro bono legal services has
exploded. This year, the diverse projects undertaken by our award recipients
reflect a multitude of innovative ways of helping those most in need of
representation, and we hope that these award recipients will serve as
outstanding examples to others in the legal community of the limitless
possibilities for pro bono work."
The Boston law office of McDermott Will & Emery was recognized for its
excellent pro bono initiatives, particularly for work on Dwayne B. v. Granholm,
a case brought on behalf of 19,000 children in Michigan’s foster care system,
the collaboration with the Medical Legal Partnership/Boston and the Children’s
Law Center of Massachusetts. In 2009, 84 percent of the attorneys in the
Boston office performed pro bono legal work with more than half of its attorneys
contributing more than 20 hours in free legal services. The Boston office
donated over 6,500 hours to working on pro bono matters ranging from civil
rights litigation to assisting non-profits with organizational issues.
Melissa Nott Davis, a trial partner, who was singled out by McDermott Will
& Emery for demonstrating strong leadership and commitment to pro bono
causes, is recognized for the manner in which she has led large teams of
attorneys on high-impact projects affecting systemic change for the benefit of
children in Massachusetts. She serves as co-chair of the Boston Pro Bono
Committee and enjoys an active role on the firm’s Pro Bono and Community Service
Committee. During her eight years with McDermott, Ms. Nott Davis, of
Somerville, has personally contributed over 1,800 hours to pro bono and
community service work.
Trial partner Edward (Ned) Leibensperger, who was also recognized by
McDermott Will & Emery, is awarded for his exemplary leadership and pro bono
work, particularly on the case, Dwayne B. v. Granholm, in partnership with
Children’s Rights, a non-profit advocacy organization. The federal class
action suit involved charges against the state of Michigan for violating the
constitutional rights of approximately 19,000 children in its foster care by
failing to protect their safety and well-being and to find them permanent
homes. Mr. Leibensperger led the team of lawyers and staff to obtain a
settlement that mandated top-to-bottom reform and federal court oversight of
Michigan’s child welfare system and resolved the constitutional due process and
federal statutory claims in the lawsuit. A resident of Waban, Mr. Leibensperger,
who has been practicing in Boston for more than thirty years, personally devoted
more than 600 hours to the case.
Senior Corporate Counsel Kathleen McGrath, who has worked at Liberty Mutual
Insurance Company since 1995, spearheads the Legal Department’s multi-faceted
pro bono program. She is recognized for her passion and commitment to pro
bono work with unrepresented litigants in Boston Housing Court cases as part of
the Attorney-for-the-Day program. In one typical pro bono case, she
wholeheartedly volunteered as co-counsel in a jury trial and spent countless
hours to prevent a mentally ill woman from becoming homeless again. She
continued to work on the case until affordable housing was secured for the
disabled woman. Ms. McGrath has also served on the board of the Volunteer
Lawyers Project (VLP) since 1996, and from 2007 to the present, has been chair
of the board. Ms. McGrath is known as a vocal advocate for the work of VLP
and is constantly striving to improve client services and to increase the
involvement of the private bar in pro bono legal work. Ms McGrath, of Haverhill,
is a 1988 graduate of Boston College Law School and served as a law clerk at the
Supreme Judicial Court in that same year.
Attorney Alfred Phillips, of Wayland, has been a volunteer working on
bankruptcy matters for clients at MetroWest Legal Services since 2005. After
being employed for forty years as labor and pension counsel at Raytheon
Corporation, Mr. Phillips was eager to engage in pro bono legal work in his
retirement years. He handled his first bankruptcy case in September 2005
at MetroWest and since then has represented 106 clients, donating over 3,300
hours of pro bono time. He works on bankruptcy screenings, prepares
petitions, and represents clients with skill and precision. Known as a
consummate professional with a genteel and courteous manner, Mr. Phillips is
being honored for his dedication and sensitivity to clients’ needs and his
thorough commitment to pro bono legal service. Attorney Phillips received
his undergraduate degree at Yale University in 1952 and his J.D. from Harvard
Law School in 1957.
Now in its ninth year, the Adams Pro Bono
Publico Awards program seeks to identify and honor individual lawyers, small and
large law firms, government attorney offices, corporate law departments and
other institutions in the legal profession that have enhanced the human dignity
of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to our
Commonwealth’s poor and disadvantaged.
The Adams Pro Bono
Publico Awards ceremony is one of many events and activities celebrating and
building support for pro bono legal work in Massachusetts. October has been
proclaimed as Pro Bono Month by Governor Deval Patrick for the second
consecutive year. The American Bar Association has declared October 24-30, 2010
as Pro Bono Week.