Gibbons Earns National Pro Bono Award
News
April 15, 2021
The firm and/or the attorneys referenced have been selected for the recognitions mentioned herein, which have been conferred by the corresponding publications and/or organizations noted. An overview of the award selection methodologies for these recognitions can be found at https://www.gibbonslaw.com/awards. Links to certain specific methodologies are embedded in individual entries. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
The Litigation Section of the American Bar Association has honored Gibbons P.C. with a 2021 John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award, which recognizes, among nominated firms nationwide, “those who have made outstanding contributions to the quality of justice in their communities, ensuring that the legal system is open and available to all.” The award will be presented during the 2021 Virtual Litigation Section Annual Conference on Friday, May 7, 2021.
“The outstanding quality of the service Gibbons attorneys provide to clients is matched by the exceptional dedication of those same attorneys to working in the public interest and giving back to their communities,” says Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of the firm. “Among the award’s main criteria is ‘commitment to disadvantaged, disenfranchised, or other under-represented individuals or groups,’ which Gibbons attorneys have displayed with remarkable skill and heart dating back to the firm’s earliest days.”
The firm’s qualifications for the award are best summarized by the letters of support submitted on behalf of Gibbons to the awards committee. Cathy Keenan, Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), noted:
Gibbons contributes significantly to the needs of the most vulnerable in our community, particularly veterans, families with special-needs children, and those in criminal reentry. Gibbons attorneys donate their time and expertise at limited scope legal clinics where they counsel veterans on how resolve outstanding suspensions and restore their driving privileges, leading to gainful employment, family reunification, and productive citizenship. Additionally, Gibbons launched a monthly expungement clinic with VLJ in 2015 for volunteers to evaluate criminal backgrounds for expungement record clearing and represent pro bono clients deemed eligible for this life-changing relief.
A more recently forged pro bono relationship, led by the Gibbons Diversity Initiative, is the firm’s partnership with the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL), as part of its “Small Businesses Need Us” program, which assists women and minority small business owners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jill Johnson, CEO of IFEL, stated in her recommendation in support of the firm’s nomination:
In 2020, Gibbons P.C. dedicated 624 hours of focused, impactful legal pro bono work at a value of over $249,000 in support of the Small Businesses Need Us program … Gibbons P.C. has helped a diverse cross-section of high-potential IFEL entrepreneurs to solve difficult problems and in the process, to survive and move closer to thriving going forward.
Gibbons supports two highly regarded, active pro bono programs – the John J. Gibbons Fellowship in Public Interest and Constitutional Law and the Gibbons Cares pro bono platform. The renowned Gibbons Fellowship can tackle a huge range of important issues, including issues of national and statewide magnitude, and provide the resources and continuity of personnel to pursue projects to conclusion, fully funding the employment of two Gibbons Fellows serving overlapping, two-year terms. Meanwhile, the firm’s traditional pro bono program focuses in a few key areas of need in the firm’s local communities, including expungement and reentry, domestic violence, asylum, trafficking, veterans’ issues, tenants’ rights, and special education.
For more on the Gibbons pro bono programs, please see https://www.gibbonslaw.com/about/gibbons-signature-initiatives/.
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. A description of the selection process methodology for the awards referenced is available at gibbonslaw.com/awards.