WEBVTT

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<v ->Good afternoon, my name is Elizabeth Ennen.</v>

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It is my great honor to serve as the chair

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of the Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee

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on Pro Bono Legal Services

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or the SJC Pro Bono Committee, as I tend to call it.

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I'm extremely pleased to welcome all of you here today

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to the 2020 Adams Award ceremony.

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And I just would like to extend a special welcome

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to our four award recipients, Crispin Birnbaum, Jim Rollins,

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Christian Westra and Sue Finegan,

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as well as professor Debbie Ramirez,

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Justice Barbara Lenk and Justice Kimberly Budd

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who has just been nominated by Governor Baker

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for the role of chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.

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Congratulations Justice Budd.

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Today's Adam's ceremony is different for two reasons.

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First it's different because we are gathering together

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in the middle of a global pandemic,

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a pandemic that prompted us to move this ceremony

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from its normal location in the beautiful Adams Courthouse

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to the internet.

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We are so grateful to all of you

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who are joining us today via the livestream.

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You are helping us carry on the important tradition

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of celebrating both pro bono service

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and our special award recipients.

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Today's ceremony is also different

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because we will be inaugurating a new award,

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the Ralph D. Gants Award for Extraordinary Leadership

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in Pro Bono Service.

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As you all know,

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we lost Chief Justice Gants earlier this fall.

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Somewhere on the very, very, very long list

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of reasons we have to miss the chief

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is an entry about his extensive and heartfelt contributions

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to the ongoing task of promoting pro bono legal services

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in Massachusetts.

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Later in the program,

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we will hear more about the chief,

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the new award named for him

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and the exceptionally deserving recipient of this award,

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Sue Finegan.

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Why is pro bono service so very important?

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In a normal year, I would generally say something now

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about how legal service organizations have to turn away

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the majority of eligible people who seek help.

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The pandemic has no doubt

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made this situation much, much worse.

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The truth is that pro bono legal services are a lifeline

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now more than ever for fellow residents of Massachusetts

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who are struggling with evictions,

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domestic violence, deportation, disability,

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and other very serious issue.

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The need is so great.

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I hope that we will push ourselves as a community

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to meet more of it.

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With that in mind, I'd like to ask the question,

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why are we gathered here today?

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Now some of you have heard me say in the past

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that the day of the Adams Award ceremony

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is one of my favorite days of the year, and it's true.

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That's because the event is always genuinely uplifting.

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If all we do today is pay tribute to Chief Justice Gants

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and to our four outstanding award recipients,

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that would be more than reason enough to gather together.

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But I know we will do more than that.

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I know that hearing about the pro bono service

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of our award recipients will inspire many of us to do more

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to help individuals who need our support.

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That is the not so hidden agenda of this gathering.

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My job now is to tell you a little bit about

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the SJC Pro Bono Committee, what we do and who we are.

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The justices of the SJC created this committee in 1999

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and tasked it with promoting pro bono legal services

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throughout the Commonwealth.

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Since that time, the committee has been chaired

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by individuals whose shoes are extremely hard to fill.

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Most recently, Sue Finegan and Kathy McGrath.

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The committee promotes pro bono legal services

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by recognizing and celebrating outstanding service,

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which is what we are doing today.

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Visiting all of the law schools in Massachusetts

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on a rotating basis to encourage law students

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to engage in pro bono service,

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studying the delivery of pro bono services in Massachusetts

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so that we can improve them,

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supporting the pro bono efforts

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of distinct groups of Massachusetts attorneys,

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such as in-house counsel, and beginning this year,

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organizing pro bono responses to the pandemic

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and promoting racial justice in Massachusetts

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through the delivery of pro bono legal services.

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The members of the SJC Pro Bono Committee are appointed

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by the justices of the SJC for three year terms.

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It is a significant time commitment.

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And I would like to recognize

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and thank our committee members.

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Our subcommittee chairs provide countless hours

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of leadership for our various projects.

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They are Ariel Clemmer, Shaneka Davis,

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George Mykulak, Kim Parr,

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Patrice Sabach, and Gordon Shaw.

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We could not implement any of our projects

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without the generous contribution

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of our additional committee members,

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Marissa Elkins, Felicia Ellsworth, Bill Gabovitch,

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Victoria Gautney, Val Ribeiro, and Steve Russo.

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Carolyn Goodwin sits ex-officio

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on the SJC Pro Bono Committee

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due to her role as the director

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of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission.

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We are very grateful for her considerable knowledge

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of pro bono issues and her cheerful

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and general willingness to roll up her sleeves

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and help with the work of the committee.

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Chip Finney is the deputy legal counsel of the SJC

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and serves as the liaison between the SJC Pro Bono Committee

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and the justices of the SJC.

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Chip spends countless hours every week supporting

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the work of this committee.

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I am extremely grateful for his collegiality and support.

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Working with Chip is one of the many reasons

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that being associated with the pro bono committee

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is a real joy for me.

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The SJC Pro Bono Committee is honored

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to have Justice Kimberly Budd as a member.

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I don't know how she finds the time

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to support the committee's work, but she always does.

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She even travels with us when we visit

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all of the far-flung law schools of the Commonwealth,

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we are so grateful for her expertise and her time.

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I would also like to take a minute

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to recognize Mia Freedman and Meredith Parker.

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Mia and Meredith were members of the Massachusetts Access

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to Justice Task Force on COVID-19.

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They co-chaired the Task Forces Committee

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on Pro Bono Legal Services.

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As part of their task force work,

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they spent months organizing, developing

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and promoting pro bono projects designed

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to address critical pandemic-related legal needs.

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I mention them now because they have graciously agreed

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to continue their work on these issues.

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Now as co-chairs along with Ariel Clemmer

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of the SJC Pro Bono Committee's new Sub Committee

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on Pandemic Pro Bono.

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We are very grateful for their time

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and for their leadership.

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And I would also like to thank Lee Masterie

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who will be working with them on the subcommittee.

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It is now my honor to introduce to you Justice Barbara Lenk.

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Justice Lenk has served on the SJC since 2011,

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when she was appointed to the court

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by then governor Deval Patrick.

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And as the SJC senior associate justice,

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she has shoulder the responsibilities of chief justice

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since Chief Justice Gants' passing.

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Justice Barbara Lenk.

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<v ->On behalf of the justices of the Supreme Judicial Court,</v>

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it's my great pleasure to welcome all of you

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to this celebration of pro bono legal services

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in the Commonwealth.

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I'd like to congratulate each award recipient

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and each Pro Bono Honor Roll participant

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in your accomplishments.

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Thank you so much for your service.

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And I have a small request to make, as we all know,

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the tremendous disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

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have hit hardest those who can least afford it.

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As a result, the need for volunteer lawyers

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is greater than ever.

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And the best way to encourage more attorneys

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to engage in pro bono service

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is to give them an example to emulate.

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So the next time that you assist

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as a lawyer for the day program,

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provide counsel for a homeless shelter,

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or interviewing (indistinct) applicants,

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please consider asking one of your colleagues to join you,

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even if it's only remotely and to lend a hand,

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they will appreciate the opportunity

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and you will have recruited one more attorney

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for the ranks of pro bono counsel.

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I thank you so much.

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<v ->Thank you Justice Lenk, my name is Kim Parr.</v>

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The Supreme Judicial Court Pro Bono Honor Roll

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was first established a decade ago

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at the urging of then Justice, Ralph Gants

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soon after he joined the Supreme Judicial Court.

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As you'll hear later in the program,

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it's one of many initiatives he supported

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to recognize and encourage pro bono service.

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Initially, the Pro Bono Honor Roll recognized law firms,

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solo practitioners, and other legal organizations

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who met certain criteria for average hours of pro bono work

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in foreign policy supporting pro bono service.

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We still recognize those organizations today,

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but since then, the Honor Roll has expanded

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to include two new categories, first law students,

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and for the first time this year, individual attorneys.

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Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic,

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we've had an extraordinary response

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to the Honor Roll this year.

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Nine law firms, solo practitioners

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and other legal organizations have qualified

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for the Pro Bono Honor Roll for legal organizations.

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To obtain this recognition, these organizations certified

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that they treat pro bono hours

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the same as billable time or its equivalent.

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And that in calendar year 2019,

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their Massachusetts attorneys provided an average

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of 50 hours of pro bono service per attorney,

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or that 75% of their attorneys provided

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at least 25 pro bono hours each.

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More than 125 law students have qualified

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for the Pro Bono Honor Roll for law students

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by providing at least 50 hours

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of law-related pro bono service

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over the course of their law school careers.

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Altogether, these students have provided

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at least 6,250 hours of pro bono service.

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In its inaugural year, the Pro Bono Honor Roll

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for individual attorneys recognizes more than 550 attorneys.

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More than 250 of these attorneys provided at least 50 hours

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of pro bono legal services last year to qualify for honors.

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More than 300 of these attorneys provided

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at least 100 years, 100 years,

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100 hours of pro bono legal services last year

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to qualify for high honors.

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100 years would be another level of achievement I'm sure.

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The collective impact of their work is enormous

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and exceeds 42,500 hours of pro bono service just in 2019.

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Unfortunately, due to the volume

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of Pro Bono Honor Roll participants,

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we can't recognize each of you individually today,

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but we've added your names as new honorees to a webpage

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for the Pro Bono Honor Roll.

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And you'll see them scrolled on screen

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at the end of today's program.

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Watch your mail as well because each of you

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will receive a certificate in the next several weeks,

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recognizing your incredible service.

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The Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services

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deeply appreciates the pro bono work

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that all of you have done and are doing.

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We understand because we're lawyers too

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and we were once law students how challenging it can be

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to make the time for pro bono service

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when you're already juggling the demands

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of your everyday work and family and other obligations,

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and especially in a pandemic.

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We're so grateful for your dedication and commitment

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and the benefits you provide to your clients

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across the Commonwealth.

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It's now my great pleasure and honor

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to introduce Justice Budd.

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And to again, extend our warmest congratulations

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for her historic nomination today.

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Justice Budd is the court's representative

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on the Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services

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and will present the awards.

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<v ->Good afternoon.</v>

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It's so nice to see everyone here today,

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well, I guess I can't really see you,

265
00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:39.723
but it's so nice to be here today.

266
00:12:41.750 --> 00:12:45.900
First, it's my pleasure to introduce

267
00:12:45.900 --> 00:12:50.473
our first Adams Award recipient, Crispin Birnbaum.

268
00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:55.290
Attorney Birnbaum has devoted her pro bono work

269
00:12:55.290 --> 00:12:58.770
to addressing inequality within the Criminal Justice System

270
00:12:58.770 --> 00:13:02.560
and the disproportionate impact that the system has had

271
00:13:02.560 --> 00:13:04.143
on communities of color.

272
00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:08.610
Although she retired from public service in 2018

273
00:13:08.610 --> 00:13:10.740
after working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

274
00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:13.500
for 34 years, she never retired

275
00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:15.480
from being a zealous advocate,

276
00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:18.133
committed to improving the lives of others.

277
00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:22.460
She began her career in 1984

278
00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:24.040
as an assistant district attorney

279
00:13:24.040 --> 00:13:26.510
in Middlesex County and later joined

280
00:13:26.510 --> 00:13:29.030
the Massachusetts Attorney General's office,

281
00:13:29.030 --> 00:13:32.383
serving as a criminal and civil litigator for 11 years.

282
00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:38.090
From 2006 to 2013, she was general counsel

283
00:13:38.090 --> 00:13:40.740
at the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services

284
00:13:41.670 --> 00:13:45.500
where she helped to implement due process reforms

285
00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:48.013
to benefit detained and committed youth.

286
00:13:48.930 --> 00:13:52.260
And from 2013 to 2018,

287
00:13:52.260 --> 00:13:54.750
Attorney Birnbaum served as General Counsel

288
00:13:54.750 --> 00:13:57.980
of the Massachusetts Probation Service.

289
00:13:57.980 --> 00:14:01.320
In that role, she reframed the focus

290
00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:02.920
and duties of the legal unit

291
00:14:02.920 --> 00:14:05.220
to better support probation officers

292
00:14:05.220 --> 00:14:07.840
in their support of probationers.

293
00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:10.910
She wrote and trained on policy reforms

294
00:14:10.910 --> 00:14:13.670
and worked to ensure uniform standards

295
00:14:13.670 --> 00:14:16.030
and fair treatment of record holders,

296
00:14:16.030 --> 00:14:18.970
including a process for the Duke independents

297
00:14:18.970 --> 00:14:22.763
who were wrongfully convicted due to falsify lab results.

298
00:14:23.970 --> 00:14:27.810
After retiring in 2018, attorney Birnbaum joined

299
00:14:27.810 --> 00:14:30.510
the Access to Justice Fellows Program,

300
00:14:30.510 --> 00:14:34.110
which engages retired lawyers and judges

301
00:14:34.110 --> 00:14:37.650
to provide pro bono service.

302
00:14:37.650 --> 00:14:41.600
And as an access to justice fellow, she used her expertise,

303
00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.020
especially in dealing in criminal records

304
00:14:44.020 --> 00:14:46.483
to benefit her many pro bono clients.

305
00:14:47.950 --> 00:14:50.380
She began volunteering with the Lawyers Clearinghouse

306
00:14:50.380 --> 00:14:53.100
legal clinic for the Homeless Program,

307
00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:56.440
staffing almost all the programs in-person,

308
00:14:56.440 --> 00:15:00.080
free legal clinics in the Boston area homeless shelters,

309
00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.163
twice per month.

310
00:15:02.350 --> 00:15:05.760
Those clients present unique challenges

311
00:15:05.760 --> 00:15:07.400
due to their homelessness,

312
00:15:07.400 --> 00:15:09.800
often complicated by chronic medical

313
00:15:09.800 --> 00:15:11.293
and mental health challenges.

314
00:15:12.800 --> 00:15:15.330
Attorney Birnbaum recognized that the existence

315
00:15:15.330 --> 00:15:18.750
of a criminal record was a contributing factor

316
00:15:18.750 --> 00:15:21.200
to homelessness and one of the greatest barriers

317
00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.350
affecting many clients' ability

318
00:15:23.350 --> 00:15:27.433
to secure basic rights to employment, housing and benefits.

319
00:15:28.620 --> 00:15:33.210
She quickly became the Lawyers Clearinghouse's

320
00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:37.170
official expert on criminal offender record information,

321
00:15:37.170 --> 00:15:40.500
commonly known by the acronym, CORI.

322
00:15:40.500 --> 00:15:44.300
And trained and mentor 50 pro bono attorneys

323
00:15:44.300 --> 00:15:46.240
as well as direct care staff

324
00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:49.053
at each of the participating shelters.

325
00:15:50.010 --> 00:15:51.800
But why stop there?

326
00:15:51.800 --> 00:15:55.620
Attorney Birnbaum proposed adding standalone CORI clinics

327
00:15:55.620 --> 00:15:58.790
in underserved neighborhoods of Boston.

328
00:15:58.790 --> 00:16:02.960
In January 2019, she began developing several contacts

329
00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.200
at the city of Boston and approach them

330
00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.480
about co-sponsoring free criminal records,

331
00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.280
sealing clinics in their community centers,

332
00:16:11.280 --> 00:16:14.800
rotating to a different neighborhood each clinic.

333
00:16:14.800 --> 00:16:17.740
After several months of writing proposals,

334
00:16:17.740 --> 00:16:19.580
creating presentations,

335
00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:23.030
attending community and city hall meetings,

336
00:16:23.030 --> 00:16:25.710
training and recruiting pro bono attorneys,

337
00:16:25.710 --> 00:16:28.920
making telephone calls and writing emails,

338
00:16:28.920 --> 00:16:31.333
her idea became a reality.

339
00:16:32.260 --> 00:16:37.130
On November 26, 2019, Lawyers Clearinghouse

340
00:16:37.130 --> 00:16:40.100
and attorney Birnbaum piloted their first standalone

341
00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:42.883
free CORI clinics and have never stopped.

342
00:16:43.850 --> 00:16:47.320
Undaunted by a pandemic, she quickly re-designed

343
00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:50.500
the in-person clinics to become virtual clinics.

344
00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:54.340
Attorney Birnbaum and the 95 pro bono attorneys

345
00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:57.070
that she trained and supervises continue

346
00:16:57.070 --> 00:17:01.150
to conduct weekly clinics that helped numerous clients seal

347
00:17:01.150 --> 00:17:02.843
or expunge their records.

348
00:17:03.740 --> 00:17:06.840
Attorney Birnbaum also helped Lawyers Clearinghouse

349
00:17:06.840 --> 00:17:08.800
formulate written testimony

350
00:17:08.800 --> 00:17:11.740
in support of emergency CORI regulations

351
00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:15.250
by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services

352
00:17:15.250 --> 00:17:18.150
during the pandemic and has volunteered

353
00:17:18.150 --> 00:17:21.980
over 300 hours of legal services work

354
00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:24.203
to Lawyers Clearinghouse.

355
00:17:25.270 --> 00:17:26.730
Lawyers Clearinghouse was not

356
00:17:26.730 --> 00:17:28.430
the only organization benefiting

357
00:17:28.430 --> 00:17:31.740
from attorney Birnbaum's pro bono commitment.

358
00:17:31.740 --> 00:17:34.840
Since November 2018, attorney Birnbaum

359
00:17:34.840 --> 00:17:39.410
has also volunteered 130 hours with Veterans Legal Services

360
00:17:39.410 --> 00:17:41.900
at weekly clinics at the New England Center

361
00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:46.640
and Home for Veterans in Austin and a monthly legal clinic

362
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:49.993
at the Veterans Administration Healthcare Center in Bedford.

363
00:17:51.270 --> 00:17:54.217
She also helped the Harvard Law School Legal Services Center

364
00:17:54.217 --> 00:17:57.413
add a monthly CORI clinic that she also helped staff.

365
00:17:58.570 --> 00:18:00.720
And she has provided training programs

366
00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:03.990
to dozens of other shelters, youth programs,

367
00:18:03.990 --> 00:18:07.170
community organizations, government services,

368
00:18:07.170 --> 00:18:08.253
and law schools.

369
00:18:09.190 --> 00:18:13.300
All told as of this past August,

370
00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:15.470
she had conducted 82 trainings

371
00:18:15.470 --> 00:18:17.740
on criminal records correction, sealing,

372
00:18:17.740 --> 00:18:22.180
and expungement for more than 1600 people.

373
00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:24.323
What an extraordinary impact?

374
00:18:25.860 --> 00:18:28.640
Margaret Mead said to never doubt

375
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.500
that a small group of thoughtful,

376
00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:32.793
committed citizens can change the world.

377
00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:37.713
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

378
00:18:38.950 --> 00:18:41.970
Attorney Birnbaum is one such citizen.

379
00:18:41.970 --> 00:18:45.240
On behalf of the SJC Standing Committee

380
00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:47.380
on Pro Bono Legal Services,

381
00:18:47.380 --> 00:18:49.570
I would like to thank attorney Birnbaum

382
00:18:49.570 --> 00:18:52.950
for her extraordinary service and congratulate her

383
00:18:52.950 --> 00:18:56.213
on being one of our 2020 Adams Award recipients.

384
00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:11.710
<v ->Good afternoon, everyone.</v>

385
00:19:11.710 --> 00:19:15.360
And thank you so much for that introduction,

386
00:19:15.360 --> 00:19:18.703
Chief Justice Budd and congratulations to you.

387
00:19:20.540 --> 00:19:23.920
What a wonderful honor to be introduced by you.

388
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.070
I'm honored to be here in the company

389
00:19:26.070 --> 00:19:30.200
of the other Adams Award winners and past winners.

390
00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.450
Thank you for nominating and selecting me.

391
00:19:33.450 --> 00:19:37.403
This is one of the most meaningful moments in my career.

392
00:19:38.940 --> 00:19:40.990
It is slightly ironic though,

393
00:19:40.990 --> 00:19:44.343
for me to receive anything from the SJC.

394
00:19:45.310 --> 00:19:48.040
When I was in the Attorney General's office,

395
00:19:48.040 --> 00:19:53.040
I tried to give away my only ever SJC oral argument.

396
00:19:54.950 --> 00:19:59.570
I left my brief with my supervisor and I said,

397
00:19:59.570 --> 00:20:04.073
you do the oral argument, I am way too nervous.

398
00:20:06.410 --> 00:20:08.793
He ended up giving the folder back to me.

399
00:20:11.890 --> 00:20:14.840
Two years ago, Veterans Legal Services

400
00:20:14.840 --> 00:20:19.300
and Lawyers Clearinghouse graciously brought me in

401
00:20:19.300 --> 00:20:21.440
to do criminal records review,

402
00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:26.100
sealing and expungement work with their clients.

403
00:20:26.100 --> 00:20:27.720
They also let me train

404
00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:31.673
and mentor their pro bono attorneys doing this work.

405
00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:37.680
One year ago, Lawyers Clearinghouse agreed to join me

406
00:20:37.790 --> 00:20:40.250
in building from the ground up

407
00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:42.840
a new criminal records clinic,

408
00:20:42.840 --> 00:20:46.273
expanding free legal services in this field.

409
00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:49.900
We've been going strong ever since.

410
00:20:49.900 --> 00:20:52.385
In fact, we have a clinic tomorrow.

411
00:20:52.385 --> 00:20:54.468
(laughs)

412
00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:58.130
I would like to share now with you

413
00:20:58.130 --> 00:21:01.370
if you would let me a few influences,

414
00:21:01.370 --> 00:21:04.150
which have led me to devote my fellowship

415
00:21:04.150 --> 00:21:05.763
to criminal records work.

416
00:21:06.870 --> 00:21:10.800
From a very young age, my father instilled

417
00:21:10.800 --> 00:21:15.433
in me democratic ideals and that's with a small d.

418
00:21:16.680 --> 00:21:19.920
He is no doubt responsible for my having chosen

419
00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:22.193
a public sector legal career.

420
00:21:23.830 --> 00:21:27.470
As a law student, I volunteered for two years

421
00:21:27.470 --> 00:21:31.853
at a storefront legal aid office in downtown Detroit.

422
00:21:32.830 --> 00:21:36.810
I represented and heard the stories of people

423
00:21:36.810 --> 00:21:40.253
whose backgrounds and faces were different from mine.

424
00:21:41.260 --> 00:21:46.160
We were attorneys, attorneys, of last resort

425
00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:50.420
whose benefits were cut off, excuse me.

426
00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:53.100
We were attorneys of last resort for people

427
00:21:53.100 --> 00:21:58.100
whose benefits were cut off, who faced disabilities,

428
00:21:58.150 --> 00:22:02.190
domestic violence and other dire circumstances.

429
00:22:02.190 --> 00:22:05.360
And from that experience, I saw people left

430
00:22:05.360 --> 00:22:08.913
to live their lives with almost nothing.

431
00:22:10.780 --> 00:22:15.560
As a young nervous ADA in a Middlesex County

432
00:22:15.560 --> 00:22:20.560
superior courtroom, I stood and turned

433
00:22:20.780 --> 00:22:23.273
to face the incoming jury pool.

434
00:22:24.530 --> 00:22:28.033
The defendant, however, tried to catch my eye.

435
00:22:29.070 --> 00:22:31.690
He was a tall, intelligent,

436
00:22:31.690 --> 00:22:35.403
24-year-old charged with armed robbery.

437
00:22:36.590 --> 00:22:38.730
I mention that he was black

438
00:22:38.730 --> 00:22:43.730
because he silently mouthed just to me, jury of my peers?

439
00:22:47.710 --> 00:22:52.230
We were about to impanel a typically monochromatic

440
00:22:52.230 --> 00:22:57.010
Middlesex jury in an identification case

441
00:22:57.010 --> 00:23:00.963
in 1986 with a photo array,

442
00:23:01.910 --> 00:23:05.150
having been shown to white witnesses

443
00:23:05.150 --> 00:23:10.113
in a town that was 93% Caucasian.

444
00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:13.463
I found it hard to breathe.

445
00:23:16.310 --> 00:23:19.180
As general counsel at the Massachusetts Department

446
00:23:19.180 --> 00:23:23.740
of Youth Services, I often visited our locked units

447
00:23:24.600 --> 00:23:29.067
and I was shocked to match the serious charges

448
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:35.000
with the young faces of who our system was depriving

449
00:23:36.010 --> 00:23:40.700
of family, community, and regular school

450
00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:43.693
for long, long periods of time.

451
00:23:44.620 --> 00:23:49.620
This was my first work inside of an offender serving agency.

452
00:23:50.110 --> 00:23:55.110
And the monochromatic factor here was the residence.

453
00:23:57.130 --> 00:24:02.130
As general counsel for the Massachusetts Probation Service,

454
00:24:02.130 --> 00:24:05.540
my second offender serving agency,

455
00:24:05.540 --> 00:24:10.020
I gained an insider's view of the Keri system,

456
00:24:10.020 --> 00:24:14.363
which begins a Massachusetts criminal record for someone.

457
00:24:15.560 --> 00:24:19.300
Each of my four jobs for the Commonwealth gave me insight

458
00:24:20.471 --> 00:24:23.790
into what it means to return to

459
00:24:23.790 --> 00:24:28.143
and navigate our community with a criminal record.

460
00:24:29.600 --> 00:24:32.450
I now have done more than 100

461
00:24:32.450 --> 00:24:37.230
free criminal records trainings across the Commonwealth,

462
00:24:37.230 --> 00:24:41.670
because the more knowledge people have,

463
00:24:41.670 --> 00:24:45.113
the more people they will refer for help.

464
00:24:46.070 --> 00:24:49.920
Many people have told me that they've never before

465
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:52.143
been offered a criminal records training.

466
00:24:53.570 --> 00:24:58.313
In the clinics, the client stories are often heartbreaking.

467
00:24:59.280 --> 00:25:02.500
Our record system produces a report

468
00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:07.500
of criminal case activity, not a record of convictions,

469
00:25:08.430 --> 00:25:12.073
employers and landlords can see pending,

470
00:25:13.003 --> 00:25:18.003
pending criminal cases despite our presumption of innocence.

471
00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:23.820
Some entities can access non convictions

472
00:25:23.820 --> 00:25:27.423
such as a dismissal or a not guilty.

473
00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:33.500
Some entities can obtain a record with no time limitations.

474
00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:36.750
That means that a criminal charge

475
00:25:36.750 --> 00:25:40.993
from 40 years ago can be held against an applicant.

476
00:25:42.150 --> 00:25:45.293
We punish people twice,

477
00:25:46.150 --> 00:25:50.873
once in the criminal justice system and long after.

478
00:25:52.670 --> 00:25:55.570
Our criminal record system causes hardship

479
00:25:55.570 --> 00:25:58.310
for anyone with a record.

480
00:25:58.310 --> 00:26:00.460
But for people of color,

481
00:26:00.460 --> 00:26:03.683
the impact is deeply disproportionate.

482
00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:10.320
Chief Justice Gants, who left us in mid-stride

483
00:26:11.330 --> 00:26:14.883
and way before we were ready to say goodbye,

484
00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:18.540
commissioned a Harvard Law School study

485
00:26:18.540 --> 00:26:20.480
on racial disparities

486
00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:23.253
in the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System.

487
00:26:24.130 --> 00:26:28.890
Published in September of 2020, data showed

488
00:26:28.890 --> 00:26:33.810
for complex reasons of discrimination and prejudice

489
00:26:33.810 --> 00:26:36.113
that our system is unfair.

490
00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:39.640
More reforms are needed

491
00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:42.883
to take better care of our neighbors.

492
00:26:44.760 --> 00:26:48.820
I tip my hat to those who are doing criminal records work

493
00:26:48.820 --> 00:26:49.883
before me.

494
00:26:50.750 --> 00:26:55.750
Hopefully the SJC's recognition today will shed more light

495
00:26:56.820 --> 00:26:59.810
on the need for criminal records work

496
00:26:59.810 --> 00:27:04.270
and the restoration It provides individuals

497
00:27:04.270 --> 00:27:05.593
and their families.

498
00:27:06.690 --> 00:27:10.280
There is much more to a human being

499
00:27:10.280 --> 00:27:12.303
than what is on their record.

500
00:27:14.050 --> 00:27:17.380
I hope to contribute as long as it is needed.

501
00:27:17.380 --> 00:27:19.933
It is life affirming.

502
00:27:20.950 --> 00:27:24.173
It gives back much more than I put in.

503
00:27:25.670 --> 00:27:29.110
I'm very fortunate though to be doing this work

504
00:27:29.110 --> 00:27:32.083
in this place and time.

505
00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:35.923
Thank you so much for your support.

506
00:27:36.870 --> 00:27:39.963
Thank you for this early birthday present.

507
00:27:41.230 --> 00:27:43.310
And my father would have gotten

508
00:27:43.310 --> 00:27:46.550
a real kick out of this event

509
00:27:46.550 --> 00:27:49.583
and I share this award with him.

510
00:28:07.550 --> 00:28:11.583
<v ->Our next award will go to James Rollins.</v>

511
00:28:13.120 --> 00:28:17.010
As one of his partners at Nelson Mullins observed,

512
00:28:17.010 --> 00:28:20.620
attorney Jim Rollins believes in a notion of justice

513
00:28:20.620 --> 00:28:23.060
that lives up to all those ideals

514
00:28:23.060 --> 00:28:25.403
that first attracted us to the law.

515
00:28:26.430 --> 00:28:30.780
His three decade career exemplifies extraordinary dedication

516
00:28:30.780 --> 00:28:33.560
to pro bono service, particularly

517
00:28:33.560 --> 00:28:35.623
to the cause of prisoner's rights.

518
00:28:36.870 --> 00:28:39.300
Attorney Rollins is the former chair

519
00:28:39.300 --> 00:28:42.660
of Nelson Mullins Pro Bono Committee,

520
00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:46.630
director of the Prisoners Legal Services of Massachusetts

521
00:28:46.630 --> 00:28:48.850
and a member of the Advisory Board

522
00:28:48.850 --> 00:28:50.533
of Lawyers Without Borders.

523
00:28:51.380 --> 00:28:55.700
We honor attorney Rollins today for all of his service,

524
00:28:55.700 --> 00:28:58.740
but we are especially inspired and moved

525
00:28:58.740 --> 00:29:03.023
by his work on the case of Walter Ogrod.

526
00:29:04.110 --> 00:29:07.240
Walter Ogrod is an innocent man who walked away

527
00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:10.740
from a Pennsylvania prison this past June,

528
00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:14.420
after more than 23 years on death row

529
00:29:14.420 --> 00:29:18.500
as a direct result of attorney Rollins' tireless efforts

530
00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:22.773
over the last 16 years and across three different firms.

531
00:29:24.150 --> 00:29:28.050
Mr. Ogrod's case was problematic from the start,

532
00:29:28.050 --> 00:29:31.470
the highly publicized murder of four-year-old girl

533
00:29:31.470 --> 00:29:35.200
in North Philadelphia in 1988 was unsolved

534
00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:38.810
for a number of years until Mr. Ogrod

535
00:29:38.810 --> 00:29:43.720
who had no criminal record was arrested in 1992

536
00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:46.743
after detectives coerced a false confession,

537
00:29:47.810 --> 00:29:49.650
he was tried twice.

538
00:29:49.650 --> 00:29:54.320
In 1992, he was one juror away from being acquitted

539
00:29:54.320 --> 00:29:56.143
but the judge declared a mistrial.

540
00:29:57.120 --> 00:30:01.060
The second time in 1996,

541
00:30:01.060 --> 00:30:03.910
based on the testimony of a jailhouse informant,

542
00:30:03.910 --> 00:30:07.003
Mr. Ogrod was convicted and sentenced to death.

543
00:30:08.620 --> 00:30:12.880
In 2005, as appeals were exhausted, attorney Rollins,

544
00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:17.420
who was then at the Boston office of Bingham McCutchen,

545
00:30:17.420 --> 00:30:19.010
volunteered with a team of lawyers

546
00:30:19.010 --> 00:30:20.903
to seek post-conviction relief.

547
00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:24.970
That effort included a massive re-investigation,

548
00:30:24.970 --> 00:30:27.670
witness interviews, expert analysis,

549
00:30:27.670 --> 00:30:30.030
and countless other tasks.

550
00:30:30.030 --> 00:30:33.170
Along the way, attorney Rollins also made many trips

551
00:30:33.170 --> 00:30:36.610
to visit Mr. Ogrod at his places of confinement

552
00:30:36.610 --> 00:30:40.063
in Western Pennsylvania and then near Philadelphia.

553
00:30:41.560 --> 00:30:43.650
Attorney Rollins remained deeply involved

554
00:30:43.650 --> 00:30:46.080
as a leader of the post-conviction team,

555
00:30:46.080 --> 00:30:48.820
even after he left Bingham for another firm.

556
00:30:48.820 --> 00:30:52.323
And then again, when he joined Nelson Mullins in 2009.

557
00:30:53.250 --> 00:30:55.940
Indeed, attorney Rollins was the only attorney

558
00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:59.240
who remained on Mr. Ogrod's case the entire time

559
00:30:59.240 --> 00:31:04.240
from 2005 until Mr. Ogrod's release in June of 2020.

560
00:31:07.060 --> 00:31:08.750
While attorney Rollins' commitment

561
00:31:08.750 --> 00:31:11.350
to Mr. Ogrod was unfaltering,

562
00:31:11.350 --> 00:31:14.453
there were many more downs than ups along the way.

563
00:31:15.747 --> 00:31:18.790
We (indistinct) promises of DNA testing,

564
00:31:18.790 --> 00:31:22.440
murder of the informant who testified against Mr. Ogrod,

565
00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:25.450
denial of discovery, judicial pushback,

566
00:31:25.450 --> 00:31:26.853
and countless delays.

567
00:31:28.110 --> 00:31:31.130
The case took a turn for the better

568
00:31:31.130 --> 00:31:33.770
when it became widely publicized.

569
00:31:33.770 --> 00:31:38.770
In 2018, author Thomas Lowenstein published his book,

570
00:31:38.770 --> 00:31:41.330
The Trials of Walter Ogrod.

571
00:31:41.330 --> 00:31:43.210
And later that same year,

572
00:31:43.210 --> 00:31:45.750
CNN devoted a segment of its series,

573
00:31:45.750 --> 00:31:47.673
Death Row Stories to the case.

574
00:31:48.840 --> 00:31:51.870
Dealing with the media and managing the case narrative

575
00:31:51.870 --> 00:31:56.870
became a crucial task handled primarily by attorney Rollins.

576
00:31:58.900 --> 00:32:01.630
Mr. Ogrod's case eventually caught the attention

577
00:32:01.630 --> 00:32:04.020
of the Conviction Integrity Unit

578
00:32:04.020 --> 00:32:06.830
in the Philadelphia District Attorney's office.

579
00:32:06.830 --> 00:32:09.350
Attorney Rollins and his colleagues worked

580
00:32:09.350 --> 00:32:11.310
with the Conviction Integrity Unit

581
00:32:11.310 --> 00:32:12.973
on the case for two years.

582
00:32:13.840 --> 00:32:17.340
In January, 2020, the Conviction Integrity Unit

583
00:32:17.340 --> 00:32:21.070
filed a brief in the post-conviction relief proceedings,

584
00:32:21.070 --> 00:32:23.860
advising that after a thorough review

585
00:32:23.860 --> 00:32:25.540
involving witness interviews,

586
00:32:25.540 --> 00:32:28.760
fresh expert analysis and other work,

587
00:32:28.760 --> 00:32:32.020
Mr. Ogrod was likely innocent of the murder

588
00:32:32.020 --> 00:32:35.183
and sexual assault for which he had been condemned.

589
00:32:37.090 --> 00:32:39.600
But the final months were not easy.

590
00:32:39.600 --> 00:32:41.580
The judge refused to hold a hearing

591
00:32:41.580 --> 00:32:44.270
because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

592
00:32:44.270 --> 00:32:47.080
And then, Mr. Ogrod likely became infected

593
00:32:47.080 --> 00:32:48.453
with COVID in prison.

594
00:32:49.910 --> 00:32:54.200
Finally on June 5th, 2020, after listening

595
00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:57.710
to the Conviction Integrity Unit apologize to the court,

596
00:32:57.710 --> 00:33:00.550
the victim's family, and to Mr. Ogrod

597
00:33:00.550 --> 00:33:02.690
for the wrongful conviction,

598
00:33:02.690 --> 00:33:05.430
the judge vacated Mr. Ogrod's conviction

599
00:33:05.430 --> 00:33:09.440
and death sentence based on prosecutorial misconduct

600
00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:11.363
and newly discovered evidence.

601
00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:15.360
In addition, the victim's mother filed

602
00:33:15.360 --> 00:33:18.230
a friend of the court brief with the court

603
00:33:18.230 --> 00:33:21.000
expressing her belief in Mr. Ogrod's innocence

604
00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:22.623
and urging his release.

605
00:33:24.190 --> 00:33:27.720
Absent attorney Rollins' nearly 15 years

606
00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:30.760
of total dedication to his case,

607
00:33:30.760 --> 00:33:34.373
it is unlikely that Mr. Ogrod would be a free man today.

608
00:33:35.210 --> 00:33:37.320
Even after Mr. Ogrod's release,

609
00:33:37.320 --> 00:33:41.820
attorney Rollins has remained a constant in his life,

610
00:33:41.820 --> 00:33:45.163
helping him acclimate after 28 years in prison.

611
00:33:46.890 --> 00:33:49.930
To quote one of his nominators for this award,

612
00:33:49.930 --> 00:33:53.290
Jim's diligence, perseverance and leadership

613
00:33:53.290 --> 00:33:56.230
on the Walter Ogrod matter are in keeping

614
00:33:56.230 --> 00:33:59.200
with the highest traditions of the SJC

615
00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:01.560
and the Massachusetts Bar.

616
00:34:01.560 --> 00:34:06.560
John Adams would be proud of Jim's efforts, and so are we.

617
00:34:07.900 --> 00:34:10.400
On behalf of the Standing Committee,

618
00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:14.010
the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services,

619
00:34:14.010 --> 00:34:15.870
I would like to thank attorney Rollins

620
00:34:15.870 --> 00:34:19.580
for his extraordinary service and to congratulate him

621
00:34:19.580 --> 00:34:23.293
on being one of our 2020 Adams Award recipients.

622
00:34:37.070 --> 00:34:38.350
<v ->Thank you, Justice Budd.</v>

623
00:34:38.350 --> 00:34:41.660
And thank you to the Supreme Judicial Court staff

624
00:34:41.660 --> 00:34:45.430
and the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services.

625
00:34:45.430 --> 00:34:48.343
I also would like to congratulate all the fellow honorees.

626
00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:52.100
We are in a very privileged position as attorneys

627
00:34:52.100 --> 00:34:54.280
and can make an immeasurable difference

628
00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:55.490
to those who cannot afford

629
00:34:55.490 --> 00:34:57.910
or otherwise access legal services,

630
00:34:57.910 --> 00:34:59.910
but have a very real need.

631
00:34:59.910 --> 00:35:02.223
Walter Ogrod is one of those people.

632
00:35:03.110 --> 00:35:04.913
Mr. Ogrod lives in Philadelphia.

633
00:35:05.900 --> 00:35:07.550
On April five, 1992,

634
00:35:07.550 --> 00:35:10.310
he responded to a seemingly routine request

635
00:35:11.370 --> 00:35:13.210
by Philadelphia Homicide Detectives

636
00:35:13.210 --> 00:35:16.410
to come down to the station to answer some questions

637
00:35:16.410 --> 00:35:18.860
related to a cold case from his old neighborhood.

638
00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:23.343
Mr. Ogrod did not emerge from custody for over 28 years.

639
00:35:24.190 --> 00:35:26.940
By that time he had spent over half his life

640
00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:29.533
in prison for a crime he did not commit.

641
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:34.720
Mr. Ogrod's first trial in 1993 ended an amidst trial

642
00:35:34.720 --> 00:35:37.560
after the jury could not reach a verdict.

643
00:35:37.560 --> 00:35:42.430
11 to one in favor of acquittal, Mr. Ogrod had testified.

644
00:35:42.430 --> 00:35:44.630
Mr. Ogrod was convicted and sentenced to death

645
00:35:44.630 --> 00:35:46.930
at a second trial on October, 1996

646
00:35:46.930 --> 00:35:49.430
for the murder of four-year-old Barbara Jean Horn.

647
00:35:50.410 --> 00:35:55.000
On June five, 2020, Mr. Ogrod was released from death row.

648
00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:58.410
The exoneration followed the nearly 16-year representation

649
00:35:58.410 --> 00:36:01.350
of Mr. Ogrod by our council team,

650
00:36:01.350 --> 00:36:03.910
which ultimately led to a reinvestigation of the case

651
00:36:03.910 --> 00:36:05.670
by the Conviction Integrity Unit

652
00:36:05.670 --> 00:36:07.443
of the Philadelphia DA's office.

653
00:36:08.510 --> 00:36:11.880
The over 30-year history of the Horn murder investigation

654
00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:14.340
and wrongful prosecution, conviction

655
00:36:14.340 --> 00:36:16.780
and incarceration of Mr. Ogrod

656
00:36:16.780 --> 00:36:21.180
is replete with a coerced and false confession orchestrated

657
00:36:21.180 --> 00:36:24.220
by detectives now known to have extracted false confessions

658
00:36:24.220 --> 00:36:28.970
from multiple defendants, testimony of notorious snitches

659
00:36:28.970 --> 00:36:31.720
who concocted stories for favorable treatment

660
00:36:31.720 --> 00:36:34.300
and the repeated failure of the DA's office

661
00:36:34.300 --> 00:36:37.113
to provide defense counsel exculpatory information.

662
00:36:38.420 --> 00:36:40.380
After exhausting direct appeals,

663
00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:42.730
a team of lawyers from the Federal Defender's Office

664
00:36:42.730 --> 00:36:44.620
in Philadelphia and pro bono attorneys

665
00:36:44.620 --> 00:36:47.040
from my former firm, Bingham McCutchen,

666
00:36:47.040 --> 00:36:51.780
brought a state law post-conviction relief act petition.

667
00:36:51.780 --> 00:36:53.600
After litigating in the Philadelphia Court

668
00:36:53.600 --> 00:36:57.500
of Common Pleas for 13 years, while simultaneously,

669
00:36:57.500 --> 00:37:00.970
exhaustedly reinvestigating Mr. Ogrod's case,

670
00:37:00.970 --> 00:37:04.130
our team convinced the Philadelphia County DA's office

671
00:37:04.130 --> 00:37:06.753
Conviction Integrity Unit to review the case.

672
00:37:07.610 --> 00:37:11.190
The CIU turned over the prosecution's file,

673
00:37:11.190 --> 00:37:15.360
tens of thousands of pages most of which we had never seen.

674
00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:18.510
Two years later in February, 2020, the CIU asked

675
00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:21.543
that Mr. Ogrod's conviction be vacated.

676
00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:26.970
In part the CIU stated at trial Ogrod found himself adrift

677
00:37:26.970 --> 00:37:30.700
in a perfect storm of unreliable scientific evidence,

678
00:37:30.700 --> 00:37:33.460
prosecutorial misconduct, Brady violations,

679
00:37:33.460 --> 00:37:34.713
and false testimony.

680
00:37:36.490 --> 00:37:41.400
On June five, 2020, released Mr. Ogrod on bond

681
00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:43.700
and subsequently dismissed the case.

682
00:37:43.700 --> 00:37:47.710
At the hearing, the CIU apologized,

683
00:37:47.710 --> 00:37:50.470
I am sorry it took 28 years for us to listen

684
00:37:50.470 --> 00:37:52.440
to what Barbara Jean was trying to tell us

685
00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:54.340
that you are innocent.

686
00:37:54.340 --> 00:37:55.710
That the words on that statement

687
00:37:55.710 --> 00:37:57.630
came from detectives and not you,

688
00:37:57.630 --> 00:38:00.900
and that we not only stole 28 years of your life,

689
00:38:00.900 --> 00:38:04.963
but that we threatened to execute you based on falsehoods.

690
00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:08.390
One would like to believe that Mr. Ogrod's case

691
00:38:08.390 --> 00:38:11.440
is extraordinary, but it is not.

692
00:38:11.440 --> 00:38:13.500
What is different about it is that he had a team

693
00:38:13.500 --> 00:38:16.060
of attorneys working at no cost to him

694
00:38:16.060 --> 00:38:18.463
for over 15 years to right or wrong.

695
00:38:19.520 --> 00:38:23.973
If only he had had those resources before he was convicted.

696
00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:27.030
The National Registry of Exonerations

697
00:38:27.030 --> 00:38:30.020
has tracked exonerations since 1989.

698
00:38:30.020 --> 00:38:35.020
In that time, it has identified 2,683 exonerations,

699
00:38:35.080 --> 00:38:38.490
including 169 from death row.

700
00:38:38.490 --> 00:38:40.820
Mr. Ogrod was deserving of his counsel

701
00:38:40.820 --> 00:38:42.720
but he was also lucky.

702
00:38:42.720 --> 00:38:45.680
Fellow inmates advocated for him telling him,

703
00:38:45.680 --> 00:38:49.350
telling anyone who would listen that Walter was innocent.

704
00:38:49.350 --> 00:38:51.590
He also caught the attention of (indistinct), a journalist,

705
00:38:51.590 --> 00:38:54.500
Tom Lowenstein wrote about Mr. Ogrod's case.

706
00:38:54.500 --> 00:38:56.800
It was Mr. Lowenstein's journalism

707
00:38:56.800 --> 00:39:00.160
that drew the attention to the ABA Death Penalty Project

708
00:39:00.160 --> 00:39:02.180
and the placement of his case

709
00:39:02.180 --> 00:39:04.830
with my former firm, Bingham McCutchen.

710
00:39:04.830 --> 00:39:08.940
I joined Nelson as time passed, case developed,

711
00:39:08.940 --> 00:39:11.280
counsel on the team moved to new firms.

712
00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:14.020
I joined Nelson Mullins over a decade ago,

713
00:39:14.020 --> 00:39:15.890
others on the team moved to Morgan Lewis.

714
00:39:15.890 --> 00:39:19.010
Throughout the representation, what did not change

715
00:39:19.010 --> 00:39:22.610
was our firm's commitment to pro bono representation

716
00:39:22.610 --> 00:39:23.763
of a client in need.

717
00:39:24.840 --> 00:39:28.450
Not every case requires this devotion of resources,

718
00:39:28.450 --> 00:39:31.280
but there are numerous deserving individuals

719
00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:34.720
who would benefit immeasurably from pro bono counsel

720
00:39:34.720 --> 00:39:37.503
if we will take the time to listen to them.

721
00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:42.130
I'd like to thank Mr. Ogrod's entire council team,

722
00:39:42.130 --> 00:39:44.173
we all contributed to his release.

723
00:39:45.050 --> 00:39:47.440
Over the representation, there were dozens of attorneys

724
00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:50.940
and other professionals from Nelson Mullins,

725
00:39:50.940 --> 00:39:54.210
Morgan Lewis, WolfBlock, Bingham McCutchen,

726
00:39:54.210 --> 00:39:57.740
and of course the Philadelphia Federal Defenders

727
00:39:57.740 --> 00:39:59.140
who contributed to the case.

728
00:40:00.280 --> 00:40:01.660
I will not name all of them here

729
00:40:01.660 --> 00:40:04.080
but I do wanna thank particularly Sam Angel,

730
00:40:04.080 --> 00:40:05.590
Tracy Alstyne and Lauren Stewart

731
00:40:05.590 --> 00:40:08.080
from the Federal Defender's office in Philadelphia,

732
00:40:08.080 --> 00:40:11.820
Andrew Gala, Bob McDonald, Tracy Kirk, and Mary Christiansen

733
00:40:11.820 --> 00:40:14.450
from Morgan Lewis, formerly Bingham,

734
00:40:14.450 --> 00:40:17.740
and also Joe Thornton, Bob Duran and Marshall White,

735
00:40:17.740 --> 00:40:19.263
who re-investigated the case.

736
00:40:20.180 --> 00:40:22.670
We have a duty as a society to those in our care

737
00:40:22.670 --> 00:40:25.220
that includes those in the Criminal Justice System,

738
00:40:25.220 --> 00:40:27.290
as well as the victims of crime.

739
00:40:27.290 --> 00:40:29.060
Mr. Ogrod's case is one example

740
00:40:29.060 --> 00:40:31.623
of how we can collectively right a wrong.

741
00:40:32.760 --> 00:40:34.790
In closing I would like to thank my mentors

742
00:40:34.790 --> 00:40:37.180
who have supported me in this kind of work.

743
00:40:37.180 --> 00:40:40.323
In particular, over 30 years ago, I had met,

744
00:40:43.280 --> 00:40:45.913
and worked with an attorney, Steve Rosenfield.

745
00:40:48.240 --> 00:40:52.350
I'm breaking up a little because Steve for almost 50 years

746
00:40:52.350 --> 00:40:55.020
has devoted half of his practice

747
00:40:55.020 --> 00:40:58.163
to representing prisoners on death row for free.

748
00:41:00.970 --> 00:41:02.320
And the other half of his practice,

749
00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:04.820
he tries to pay for the free part of his practice.

750
00:41:07.260 --> 00:41:10.130
Steve remains as an example to me in my practice though,

751
00:41:10.130 --> 00:41:11.863
mine is far less generous.

752
00:41:14.110 --> 00:41:16.770
I also wanna thank my family, Cynthia and Hannah

753
00:41:16.770 --> 00:41:20.214
for sharing me with Mr. Ogrod and my other clients.

754
00:41:20.214 --> 00:41:21.323
They're very tolerant.

755
00:41:22.600 --> 00:41:24.830
Hannah who's grown up with Mr. Ograd case

756
00:41:25.830 --> 00:41:29.040
when she was five years old, she started asking me

757
00:41:29.040 --> 00:41:31.713
what I had done that day for the man in the cage.

758
00:41:33.392 --> 00:41:37.350
(indistinct) some of the best unfiltered light on us.

759
00:41:37.350 --> 00:41:38.183
Thank you.

760
00:41:52.860 --> 00:41:57.190
<v ->Over the years, many of our Adams Award recipients</v>

761
00:41:57.190 --> 00:41:59.780
have been litigators who fought for the rights

762
00:41:59.780 --> 00:42:02.163
of their pro bono clients in the courtroom.

763
00:42:03.170 --> 00:42:06.170
Our final Adams Award recipient today,

764
00:42:06.170 --> 00:42:09.603
Christian J. Westra is a little different.

765
00:42:10.490 --> 00:42:11.740
A partner at Ropes and Gray

766
00:42:11.740 --> 00:42:15.700
who works in the firm's private equity transactions group,

767
00:42:15.700 --> 00:42:18.110
attorney Westra offers a wonderful example

768
00:42:18.110 --> 00:42:22.190
of how business lawyers can also be pro bono leaders

769
00:42:22.190 --> 00:42:26.210
by volunteering their expertise and transactional skills

770
00:42:26.210 --> 00:42:28.930
to serve people in organizations

771
00:42:28.930 --> 00:42:31.793
who could never otherwise afford legal counsel.

772
00:42:33.240 --> 00:42:36.610
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck,

773
00:42:36.610 --> 00:42:39.640
many nonprofits and small businesses

774
00:42:39.640 --> 00:42:42.513
faced unprecedented financial challenges.

775
00:42:43.650 --> 00:42:47.390
To address this issue in the greater Boston area,

776
00:42:47.390 --> 00:42:51.640
attorney Westra launched the COVID Relief Coalition,

777
00:42:51.640 --> 00:42:54.650
a private and public sector partnership

778
00:42:54.650 --> 00:42:57.780
that is helping thousands of vulnerable non-profits

779
00:42:57.780 --> 00:43:01.370
and small businesses access emergency loans,

780
00:43:01.370 --> 00:43:03.960
and other sources of relief.

781
00:43:03.960 --> 00:43:06.590
The coalition, which has served as a model

782
00:43:06.590 --> 00:43:08.610
for similar relief organizations

783
00:43:08.610 --> 00:43:10.720
in other parts of the country

784
00:43:10.720 --> 00:43:15.400
has taken on more than 235 pro bono representations

785
00:43:15.400 --> 00:43:20.070
and 65% of Ropes and Grays' pro bono representations

786
00:43:20.070 --> 00:43:23.290
through the coalition have been for organizations led

787
00:43:23.290 --> 00:43:25.543
by women or people of color.

788
00:43:26.950 --> 00:43:29.260
Attorney Westra was instrumental

789
00:43:29.260 --> 00:43:32.883
in bringing together various partners for this initiative.

790
00:43:35.657 --> 00:43:37.150
The coalition includes law firms,

791
00:43:37.150 --> 00:43:40.920
nonprofits and government agencies, and is co-led

792
00:43:40.920 --> 00:43:44.820
by the Ropes and Grays' longstanding pro bono partners,

793
00:43:44.820 --> 00:43:48.483
Lawyers for Civil Rights and Lawyers Clearinghouse.

794
00:43:49.420 --> 00:43:52.780
In addition, attorney Westra worked with the United Way

795
00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:55.900
to organize a webinar early in the pandemic

796
00:43:55.900 --> 00:43:59.310
that was attended by more than 250 participants

797
00:43:59.310 --> 00:44:02.590
from the region's nonprofit community.

798
00:44:02.590 --> 00:44:05.150
The presentation outlined key issues affecting

799
00:44:05.150 --> 00:44:08.680
the region's nonprofits and small businesses

800
00:44:08.680 --> 00:44:12.383
and identified emergency relief resources available to them.

801
00:44:14.090 --> 00:44:16.170
A key pandemic-related resource

802
00:44:16.170 --> 00:44:18.760
for nonprofits and small businesses

803
00:44:18.760 --> 00:44:21.670
has been the small business administration's

804
00:44:21.670 --> 00:44:26.580
Paycheck Protection Program known as the PPP program,

805
00:44:26.580 --> 00:44:28.640
which provides fully forgivable loans

806
00:44:28.640 --> 00:44:31.550
to small businesses and nonprofits.

807
00:44:31.550 --> 00:44:34.590
But the PPP loan application process

808
00:44:34.590 --> 00:44:37.470
and the general economic recovery plan put forth

809
00:44:37.470 --> 00:44:40.700
by the U.S. Congress have been notoriously difficult

810
00:44:40.700 --> 00:44:41.633
to understand.

811
00:44:42.510 --> 00:44:44.660
To help small businesses and nonprofits

812
00:44:44.660 --> 00:44:48.160
navigate this terrain, attorney Westra provided

813
00:44:48.160 --> 00:44:51.890
the leadership required to launch a comprehensive website

814
00:44:51.890 --> 00:44:53.950
that supports the coalition's mission

815
00:44:53.950 --> 00:44:57.010
by enabling small businesses and nonprofits

816
00:44:57.010 --> 00:44:59.120
to learn about sources of relief

817
00:44:59.120 --> 00:45:04.050
and obtain real-time updates on application procedures.

818
00:45:04.050 --> 00:45:05.760
The coalition's website has had

819
00:45:05.760 --> 00:45:09.820
more than 12,500 unique visitors.

820
00:45:09.820 --> 00:45:12.530
The centers can also use the coalition's website

821
00:45:12.530 --> 00:45:14.663
to obtain pro bono legal support.

822
00:45:15.930 --> 00:45:19.950
In addition, the COVID Relief Coalition

823
00:45:19.950 --> 00:45:21.960
has provided individualized guidance

824
00:45:21.960 --> 00:45:25.450
for nonprofits and small businesses.

825
00:45:25.450 --> 00:45:27.680
The coalition helps organizations

826
00:45:27.680 --> 00:45:29.970
identify sources of relief relevant

827
00:45:29.970 --> 00:45:32.370
to their specific circumstances

828
00:45:32.370 --> 00:45:34.180
and advises on critical issues,

829
00:45:34.180 --> 00:45:37.410
such as reopening challenges, rent abatement,

830
00:45:37.410 --> 00:45:39.993
and unemployment coverage for individuals.

831
00:45:41.340 --> 00:45:43.950
Significantly, the COVID Relief Coalition

832
00:45:43.950 --> 00:45:46.400
has provided much needed assistance

833
00:45:46.400 --> 00:45:48.710
to many businesses owned by people of color

834
00:45:48.710 --> 00:45:50.690
across the region.

835
00:45:50.690 --> 00:45:52.880
The COVID-19 pandemic has had

836
00:45:52.880 --> 00:45:55.391
a disproportionately negative impact

837
00:45:55.391 --> 00:46:00.280
on minority-owned small businesses and nonprofits.

838
00:46:00.280 --> 00:46:02.170
The Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights

839
00:46:02.170 --> 00:46:04.100
recognized attorney Westra

840
00:46:04.100 --> 00:46:06.400
and the coalition earlier this year

841
00:46:06.400 --> 00:46:09.840
for providing critical resources and services

842
00:46:09.840 --> 00:46:12.010
to minority-owned and women-owned

843
00:46:12.010 --> 00:46:14.163
small businesses during the pandemic.

844
00:46:15.670 --> 00:46:19.633
Attorney Westra is deeply committed to public service.

845
00:46:20.550 --> 00:46:22.260
In addition to providing leadership

846
00:46:22.260 --> 00:46:24.930
for the COVID Relief Coalition, he has helped

847
00:46:24.930 --> 00:46:28.380
to lead Ropes and Grays pan mass challenge team.

848
00:46:28.380 --> 00:46:30.360
He's also a member of the board of directors

849
00:46:30.360 --> 00:46:33.130
of the Norman B Leventhal Map Center

850
00:46:33.130 --> 00:46:36.010
at the Boston Public Library and a member

851
00:46:36.010 --> 00:46:38.940
of the Community Impact Committee of the United Way

852
00:46:38.940 --> 00:46:41.763
of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.

853
00:46:43.320 --> 00:46:46.997
The nominator for attorney Westra notes that he is,

854
00:46:46.997 --> 00:46:51.997
"A leader in his personal, professional and civic life."

855
00:46:53.730 --> 00:46:56.380
We are pleased to honor him for his outstanding commitment

856
00:46:56.380 --> 00:47:00.180
to public service and pro bono legal services.

857
00:47:00.180 --> 00:47:03.610
And we thank you for working so tirelessly

858
00:47:03.610 --> 00:47:07.513
during the pandemic to build the COVID Relief Coalition,

859
00:47:08.510 --> 00:47:11.680
a new organization that serves as a national model

860
00:47:11.680 --> 00:47:14.510
of how to connect vulnerable organizations

861
00:47:14.510 --> 00:47:17.580
to the key legal and financial resources

862
00:47:17.580 --> 00:47:19.943
that they need during these difficult days.

863
00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:24.320
On behalf of the SJC Standing Committee

864
00:47:24.320 --> 00:47:26.790
on Pro Bono Legal Services,

865
00:47:26.790 --> 00:47:28.910
I would like to thank attorney Westra

866
00:47:28.910 --> 00:47:32.460
for his extraordinary service and congratulate him

867
00:47:32.460 --> 00:47:36.363
on being one of our 2020 Adam's Award recipients.

868
00:47:48.320 --> 00:47:50.100
<v ->Thank you very much Justice Budd.</v>

869
00:47:50.100 --> 00:47:51.960
And congratulations on your nomination

870
00:47:51.960 --> 00:47:54.433
as chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.

871
00:47:55.430 --> 00:47:57.500
It's a great honor to be here today

872
00:47:57.500 --> 00:48:01.227
as a recipient of an Adam's Pro Bono Publico Award

873
00:48:01.227 --> 00:48:03.423
and to be in such a Gus company.

874
00:48:04.260 --> 00:48:07.320
I'd like to congratulate the other Adams Award recipients,

875
00:48:07.320 --> 00:48:10.960
Crispin and Jim as well as Sue Finegan

876
00:48:10.960 --> 00:48:12.840
who will be receiving this year's inaugural

877
00:48:12.840 --> 00:48:14.543
Ralph D. Gants Award.

878
00:48:15.380 --> 00:48:17.560
I would also like to thank the Standing Committee

879
00:48:17.560 --> 00:48:20.393
on Pro Bono Legal Services for this recognition.

880
00:48:22.690 --> 00:48:24.630
As someone with a keen interest in history,

881
00:48:24.630 --> 00:48:27.570
it's particularly humbling to receive an award named

882
00:48:27.570 --> 00:48:30.433
for John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

883
00:48:31.310 --> 00:48:34.260
My father-in-law who is British wondered

884
00:48:34.260 --> 00:48:38.520
if the first Pro Bono Publico Award

885
00:48:38.520 --> 00:48:40.950
had been given to John Adams for his defense

886
00:48:40.950 --> 00:48:44.060
of the British following the Boston massacre.

887
00:48:44.060 --> 00:48:46.110
Do I have to assume that is not the case.

888
00:48:48.662 --> 00:48:51.040
When the world was turning upside down in March

889
00:48:51.040 --> 00:48:52.950
as it was becoming increasingly clear

890
00:48:52.950 --> 00:48:56.850
that things would not be going back to normal anytime soon,

891
00:48:56.850 --> 00:48:59.563
like many people, I wanted to do something to help.

892
00:49:00.580 --> 00:49:02.740
Living in Boston with my wife, Sophie

893
00:49:02.740 --> 00:49:05.230
and our two sons, Jack and George,

894
00:49:05.230 --> 00:49:07.080
it was deeply distressing to me

895
00:49:07.080 --> 00:49:10.340
to see so many boarded up businesses in our neighborhood

896
00:49:10.340 --> 00:49:11.980
and realized how many in our community

897
00:49:11.980 --> 00:49:14.030
were suffering greatly not only

898
00:49:14.030 --> 00:49:16.080
from the public health crisis,

899
00:49:16.080 --> 00:49:18.733
but from the economic devastation resulting from it.

900
00:49:20.150 --> 00:49:21.840
I also have the privilege of serving

901
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:25.250
as a member of the board of directors of the United Way

902
00:49:25.250 --> 00:49:29.200
and recognize the uncertain future faced by many

903
00:49:29.200 --> 00:49:32.150
of the nonprofits that serve our most vulnerable neighbors.

904
00:49:34.230 --> 00:49:35.670
Working with colleagues at Ropes and Gray,

905
00:49:35.670 --> 00:49:37.760
including my partner, Jenny Rikoski

906
00:49:37.760 --> 00:49:41.760
who co-chairs the firm's pro bono committee and Roz Nasdor,

907
00:49:41.760 --> 00:49:44.800
our director of pro bono legal services,

908
00:49:44.800 --> 00:49:46.587
I started reaching out to other organizations

909
00:49:46.587 --> 00:49:49.470
in the city of Austin to see how we could partner

910
00:49:49.470 --> 00:49:52.603
to help small businesses and nonprofits.

911
00:49:53.600 --> 00:49:56.730
Before long, we had launched the COVID Relief Coalition,

912
00:49:56.730 --> 00:49:58.980
a coalition of law firms, nonprofits,

913
00:49:58.980 --> 00:50:00.850
and governmental agencies,

914
00:50:00.850 --> 00:50:04.100
joining forces to help small businesses and non-profits

915
00:50:04.100 --> 00:50:07.700
in the greater Boston area access emergency loans

916
00:50:07.700 --> 00:50:09.100
and other sources of relief.

917
00:50:09.970 --> 00:50:13.320
Among our more than 25 partners are the Commonwealth,

918
00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:15.010
the city of Boston, the United Way

919
00:50:15.010 --> 00:50:16.313
and the Boston foundation.

920
00:50:17.450 --> 00:50:19.780
In short, order we developed a website,

921
00:50:19.780 --> 00:50:22.620
covidreliefcoalition.com synthesize in one place

922
00:50:22.620 --> 00:50:25.110
all of the various evolving sources of economic relief

923
00:50:25.110 --> 00:50:27.990
available to small businesses nonprofits.

924
00:50:27.990 --> 00:50:31.180
We provided a simple way for people to get pro bono help

925
00:50:31.180 --> 00:50:33.790
at the click of a button on our website

926
00:50:33.790 --> 00:50:36.500
and work closely in coordination with our longtime partners,

927
00:50:36.500 --> 00:50:39.460
Lawyers for Civil Rights and Lawyers Clearinghouse

928
00:50:39.460 --> 00:50:41.803
to roll out a seamless referral system.

929
00:50:43.240 --> 00:50:45.487
Before long, we had hundreds of small businesses

930
00:50:45.487 --> 00:50:48.453
and nonprofits reaching out and looking for help.

931
00:50:50.300 --> 00:50:51.590
Today Ropes and Gray has taken

932
00:50:51.590 --> 00:50:53.980
over 235 pro bono representations

933
00:50:53.980 --> 00:50:56.520
through the COVID Relief Coalition.

934
00:50:56.520 --> 00:50:59.790
We are particularly proud that, as Justice Budd noted,

935
00:50:59.790 --> 00:51:03.740
approximately 65% of the pro bono representations

936
00:51:03.740 --> 00:51:06.910
Ropes and Gray has taken through the coalition have been

937
00:51:06.910 --> 00:51:09.853
for organizations led by women or people of color.

938
00:51:10.800 --> 00:51:15.440
In total, Ropes' lawyers have spent over 2,650 hours

939
00:51:15.440 --> 00:51:17.213
on COVID related matters.

940
00:51:18.270 --> 00:51:20.640
We've helped organizations ranging from restaurants

941
00:51:20.640 --> 00:51:24.890
to yoga studios, daycare centers to antique stores,

942
00:51:24.890 --> 00:51:27.350
contractors to pet shops,

943
00:51:27.350 --> 00:51:30.350
local schools to recreational centers,

944
00:51:30.350 --> 00:51:34.740
navigate the ins and outs of the Paycheck Protection Program

945
00:51:34.740 --> 00:51:36.343
and other sources of funding.

946
00:51:37.200 --> 00:51:40.070
we've advised countless pro bono clients on how to seek

947
00:51:40.070 --> 00:51:42.690
and successfully negotiate rent abatement arrangements

948
00:51:42.690 --> 00:51:44.550
with their landlords.

949
00:51:44.550 --> 00:51:48.050
We've also advised many clients on reopening considerations,

950
00:51:48.050 --> 00:51:49.780
including how to protect themselves

951
00:51:49.780 --> 00:51:51.743
from potential COVID-related liability.

952
00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:56.980
Our clients are hardworking people who epitomise

953
00:51:56.980 --> 00:52:00.060
the values of entrepreneurs and innovation

954
00:52:00.060 --> 00:52:03.210
that we celebrate as a society in America.

955
00:52:03.210 --> 00:52:04.580
But in many cases,

956
00:52:04.580 --> 00:52:07.840
they're seeing their lives were in jeopardy.

957
00:52:07.840 --> 00:52:10.900
The public health toll, the pandemic has been tragic,

958
00:52:10.900 --> 00:52:14.010
but the economic toll is also devastating.

959
00:52:14.010 --> 00:52:16.650
It is often being born by the members of our community

960
00:52:16.650 --> 00:52:18.050
who are the most vulnerable.

961
00:52:19.290 --> 00:52:21.210
Ropes and Gray is honored to play a part

962
00:52:21.210 --> 00:52:24.530
in providing help to those who need it most.

963
00:52:24.530 --> 00:52:26.050
I'm extremely grateful to the firm

964
00:52:26.050 --> 00:52:28.270
for all the support I've received.

965
00:52:28.270 --> 00:52:29.430
And I'm also incredibly grateful

966
00:52:29.430 --> 00:52:31.550
to my colleagues for their support.

967
00:52:31.550 --> 00:52:33.380
Our associates in particular have done

968
00:52:33.380 --> 00:52:35.920
a truly outstanding job counseling

969
00:52:35.920 --> 00:52:38.730
and providing actual advice that has directly help

970
00:52:38.730 --> 00:52:41.343
the lives of hundreds of people and their families.

971
00:52:42.460 --> 00:52:44.920
At a time of incredible fractiousness

972
00:52:44.920 --> 00:52:47.750
and atomization within our society,

973
00:52:47.750 --> 00:52:51.240
it's deeply gratifying to be a part of a shared enterprise

974
00:52:51.240 --> 00:52:52.860
that has given so many people

975
00:52:52.860 --> 00:52:55.113
such a shared sense of purpose and hope.

976
00:52:56.440 --> 00:52:59.580
In closing, I would like to thank the Supreme Judicial Court

977
00:52:59.580 --> 00:53:01.740
for this truly humbling recognition

978
00:53:01.740 --> 00:53:03.250
which is more than anything,

979
00:53:03.250 --> 00:53:05.640
a recognition of the great work done

980
00:53:05.640 --> 00:53:08.810
by the hundreds of lawyers at Ropes and Gray and elsewhere

981
00:53:08.810 --> 00:53:12.160
who've made the COVID Relief Coalition such a success.

982
00:53:12.160 --> 00:53:13.160
Thank you very much.

983
00:53:28.400 --> 00:53:31.140
<v ->I wanna, again, just congratulate</v>

984
00:53:31.140 --> 00:53:35.770
and thank our 2020 Adams Award recipients.

985
00:53:35.770 --> 00:53:38.410
I'm sure you'll agree that each

986
00:53:38.410 --> 00:53:42.183
are well-deserving of the committee's recognition.

987
00:53:43.640 --> 00:53:46.960
And before turning to our last award named

988
00:53:46.960 --> 00:53:49.793
in honor of our late Chief Justice, Ralph Gants,

989
00:53:51.340 --> 00:53:54.227
I wanna just take a moment to speak about the chief

990
00:53:54.227 --> 00:53:57.973
and his devotion to supporting pro bono legal services.

991
00:53:59.900 --> 00:54:03.240
Since his sudden passing in September,

992
00:54:03.240 --> 00:54:05.660
Chief Justice Gants has been celebrated

993
00:54:05.660 --> 00:54:08.710
for his many wonderful attributes,

994
00:54:08.710 --> 00:54:13.250
his brilliance, his boundless energy and enthusiasm,

995
00:54:13.250 --> 00:54:17.470
his gregarious good nature, his endless curiosity,

996
00:54:17.470 --> 00:54:20.143
and perhaps most of all, his empathy.

997
00:54:21.450 --> 00:54:24.123
Though he sat at the pinnacle of the court system,

998
00:54:25.191 --> 00:54:29.210
he knew what it could look like from the outside

999
00:54:29.210 --> 00:54:31.573
for a person who cannot afford an attorney.

1000
00:54:32.690 --> 00:54:35.540
He understood what it feels like to be facing

1001
00:54:35.540 --> 00:54:39.660
a life-changing litigation involving your home, your family,

1002
00:54:39.660 --> 00:54:42.713
or your finances without a lawyer to guide you.

1003
00:54:43.660 --> 00:54:46.790
And that is why he was so committed to encouraging lawyers

1004
00:54:46.790 --> 00:54:49.760
and law students to volunteer their services

1005
00:54:49.760 --> 00:54:52.820
to assist those who cannot afford an attorney

1006
00:54:52.820 --> 00:54:54.513
for their essential legal needs.

1007
00:54:57.000 --> 00:55:01.090
In addition to co-chairing the Access to Justice Commission

1008
00:55:01.090 --> 00:55:03.480
for most of the last decade,

1009
00:55:03.480 --> 00:55:05.810
he served as the courts representative

1010
00:55:05.810 --> 00:55:10.020
on the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services

1011
00:55:10.020 --> 00:55:15.020
from 2011 until 2014 when he was appointed chief justice.

1012
00:55:15.850 --> 00:55:18.000
And the list of pro bono initiatives

1013
00:55:18.000 --> 00:55:20.283
in which he was involved is long.

1014
00:55:21.490 --> 00:55:25.830
In 2010 and 2011, he led the creation

1015
00:55:25.830 --> 00:55:29.580
of the SJC Pro Bono Honor Roll that you heard about

1016
00:55:29.580 --> 00:55:32.120
and helped to draft standards.

1017
00:55:32.120 --> 00:55:34.510
And I know that if he were here today,

1018
00:55:34.510 --> 00:55:36.100
he would be so proud of all of you

1019
00:55:36.100 --> 00:55:39.033
that qualified for a spot on that Honor Roll.

1020
00:55:40.570 --> 00:55:45.570
In 2011, as co-chair of the Access to Justice Commission,

1021
00:55:45.610 --> 00:55:49.730
he spearheaded a major event to encourage pro bono service

1022
00:55:49.730 --> 00:55:51.583
by in-house corporate counsel.

1023
00:55:52.660 --> 00:55:55.230
And later he helped draft an amendment

1024
00:55:55.230 --> 00:55:57.700
to the Supreme Judicial Court rules

1025
00:55:57.700 --> 00:55:59.723
to enable in-house corporate counsel,

1026
00:56:00.850 --> 00:56:04.050
admitted to practice in another jurisdiction

1027
00:56:04.050 --> 00:56:06.973
to provide pro bono services in Massachusetts.

1028
00:56:08.340 --> 00:56:10.600
In 2012, he supported the launch

1029
00:56:10.600 --> 00:56:13.390
of the Access to Justice Fellows Program,

1030
00:56:13.390 --> 00:56:16.350
which recruits retired lawyers and judges

1031
00:56:16.350 --> 00:56:19.130
to provide a year of pro bono service

1032
00:56:19.130 --> 00:56:22.200
to nonprofit organizations, courts,

1033
00:56:22.200 --> 00:56:24.920
and other public service entities.

1034
00:56:24.920 --> 00:56:26.880
And he enthusiastically reached out

1035
00:56:26.880 --> 00:56:29.330
to his retired colleagues and friends

1036
00:56:29.330 --> 00:56:31.333
to encourage them to participate.

1037
00:56:33.080 --> 00:56:37.420
In 2014, he convened a committee of bar leaders,

1038
00:56:37.420 --> 00:56:41.160
legal services lawyers, and appellate judges and clerks

1039
00:56:41.160 --> 00:56:45.560
to consider establishing an appellate pro bono clinic,

1040
00:56:45.560 --> 00:56:47.870
which eventually resulted in the creation

1041
00:56:47.870 --> 00:56:50.463
of the Civil Appeals Pro Bono Clinic.

1042
00:56:51.900 --> 00:56:54.720
And even after he stepped down from the pro bono committee

1043
00:56:54.720 --> 00:56:58.100
due to his responsibilities as chief justice,

1044
00:56:58.100 --> 00:57:01.293
he remained deeply invested in supporting pro bono work.

1045
00:57:02.440 --> 00:57:05.250
He continued to encourage members of the pro bono committee

1046
00:57:05.250 --> 00:57:07.780
to pursue new initiatives such as

1047
00:57:07.780 --> 00:57:11.053
the new Pro Bono Honor Roll for individual attorneys.

1048
00:57:11.980 --> 00:57:14.170
Each year he spoke at numerous events

1049
00:57:14.170 --> 00:57:17.100
to inspire and encourage lawyers

1050
00:57:17.100 --> 00:57:19.733
to volunteer their service to people in need.

1051
00:57:20.810 --> 00:57:23.640
And this year, especially, he was involved

1052
00:57:23.640 --> 00:57:26.900
in major efforts to recruit attorneys

1053
00:57:26.900 --> 00:57:29.300
to provide pro bono assistance

1054
00:57:29.300 --> 00:57:33.130
for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,

1055
00:57:33.130 --> 00:57:36.060
especially those facing eviction

1056
00:57:36.060 --> 00:57:38.663
due to unemployment caused by the pandemic.

1057
00:57:40.740 --> 00:57:44.310
As a member of the National Conference of Chief Justices

1058
00:57:44.310 --> 00:57:47.053
and of its Access and Fairness Committee,

1059
00:57:48.150 --> 00:57:50.840
Chief Justice Gants played a leading role

1060
00:57:50.840 --> 00:57:54.220
in pushing for the adoption and implementation

1061
00:57:54.220 --> 00:57:58.080
of 100% access to effective assistance

1062
00:57:58.080 --> 00:58:01.000
for essential civil legal needs

1063
00:58:01.000 --> 00:58:03.823
as a crucial goal for our legal system.

1064
00:58:04.950 --> 00:58:07.550
Although he was realistic about many of the barriers

1065
00:58:07.550 --> 00:58:10.240
that must be overcome to reach that goal,

1066
00:58:10.240 --> 00:58:12.293
he was tireless in pursuing it.

1067
00:58:13.320 --> 00:58:16.710
And he believed that while volunteer lawyers alone

1068
00:58:16.710 --> 00:58:19.740
cannot solve the problem of inadequate access

1069
00:58:19.740 --> 00:58:23.600
to legal assistance, they're a critical part

1070
00:58:23.600 --> 00:58:24.563
of the solution.

1071
00:58:26.990 --> 00:58:29.580
We no longer have Chief Justice Gants

1072
00:58:29.580 --> 00:58:34.000
to lead us in the struggle to improve access to justice,

1073
00:58:34.000 --> 00:58:39.000
but we can each in our own way continue his work.

1074
00:58:40.400 --> 00:58:44.530
Your continuing commitment to pro bono service

1075
00:58:44.530 --> 00:58:48.153
is one of the greatest ways that you can honor his legacy.

1076
00:58:50.770 --> 00:58:53.870
There's a beautiful poem by Maya Angelou

1077
00:58:53.870 --> 00:58:58.010
called When Great Trees Fall that powerfully describes

1078
00:58:58.010 --> 00:58:59.720
the tremendous sense of loss

1079
00:59:00.880 --> 00:59:03.943
that strikes us when great souls die.

1080
00:59:05.820 --> 00:59:10.463
Our reality bound to them takes leave of us,

1081
00:59:11.410 --> 00:59:16.410
our souls dependent upon their nurture now shrink, wizened.

1082
00:59:19.000 --> 00:59:24.000
Our minds formed and informed by their radiance fall away.

1083
00:59:28.090 --> 00:59:31.760
But at the end, the poem also points out a path

1084
00:59:31.760 --> 00:59:35.430
toward recovery from grief as we gain inspiration

1085
00:59:35.430 --> 00:59:39.773
to go forward from the example of those great souls.

1086
00:59:40.970 --> 00:59:45.970
The poem tells us that after a period piece blooms

1087
00:59:47.880 --> 00:59:52.880
and our senses restored never to be the same whisper to us,

1088
00:59:54.840 --> 00:59:57.683
they existed, they existed.

1089
00:59:59.050 --> 01:00:04.050
We can be, be and be better for they existed.

1090
01:00:08.860 --> 01:00:12.040
Let us all commit ourselves to be better

1091
01:00:12.040 --> 01:00:16.010
in honor of the chief and to carry on his mission

1092
01:00:16.010 --> 01:00:18.133
to improve access to justice.

1093
01:00:20.620 --> 01:00:24.460
And now I would like to invite Chief Justice Gants' wife,

1094
01:00:24.460 --> 01:00:26.270
professor Deborah Ramirez

1095
01:00:26.270 --> 01:00:29.520
of the Northeastern University School of Law

1096
01:00:29.520 --> 01:00:32.810
to share a few words with us about her husband.

1097
01:00:45.663 --> 01:00:47.930
<v ->Good afternoon everyone.</v>

1098
01:00:47.930 --> 01:00:52.660
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this presentation.

1099
01:00:52.660 --> 01:00:56.940
This was something that Ralph looked forward to every year

1100
01:00:56.940 --> 01:01:00.360
because he knew how important

1101
01:01:00.360 --> 01:01:05.230
the work of individual lawyers was to creating a rich

1102
01:01:05.230 --> 01:01:08.720
and vibrant legal community here in Boston

1103
01:01:08.720 --> 01:01:13.570
and to addressing the needs of those who were unrepresented,

1104
01:01:13.570 --> 01:01:17.223
those who could not afford a lawyer, but needed one.

1105
01:01:18.350 --> 01:01:23.180
If he were here, he would be so moved

1106
01:01:23.180 --> 01:01:28.180
and so proud of the work done by this year's recipients.

1107
01:01:28.840 --> 01:01:33.740
And he would focus in this moment on their work

1108
01:01:33.740 --> 01:01:37.480
and on the awards that were given today.

1109
01:01:37.480 --> 01:01:42.130
He thought this ceremony was critical and important

1110
01:01:42.130 --> 01:01:45.790
because it honored the people who had spent

1111
01:01:45.790 --> 01:01:49.910
so many hours representing the indigent,

1112
01:01:49.910 --> 01:01:52.490
representing the marginalized,

1113
01:01:52.490 --> 01:01:55.193
representing the disenfranchised.

1114
01:01:56.200 --> 01:02:00.120
So I want to begin with the special award

1115
01:02:00.120 --> 01:02:03.083
that's about to be given to Sue Finegan.

1116
01:02:04.800 --> 01:02:09.800
Sue, if he were here, he would say,

1117
01:02:10.520 --> 01:02:13.100
you have been the heart and soul

1118
01:02:13.100 --> 01:02:16.983
of the Access to Justice initiatives and commission.

1119
01:02:18.540 --> 01:02:21.870
I have a story to tell about Ralph

1120
01:02:21.870 --> 01:02:26.870
and how much he valued Sue's access to justice assistance.

1121
01:02:28.030 --> 01:02:30.660
I went to ask him for advice

1122
01:02:30.660 --> 01:02:34.930
because I was starting a criminal justice task force

1123
01:02:34.930 --> 01:02:38.280
to focus on the criminal justice issues

1124
01:02:38.280 --> 01:02:40.913
that he had been addressing on the civil side.

1125
01:02:41.940 --> 01:02:44.750
And I said, I needed to know how he made

1126
01:02:44.750 --> 01:02:48.463
the Access to Justice Commission work, what was the secret?

1127
01:02:49.340 --> 01:02:52.633
And of course he said, the secret is Sue Finegan.

1128
01:02:55.110 --> 01:02:56.990
He said it works like this.

1129
01:02:56.990 --> 01:03:01.850
She makes suggestions about what we need to do.

1130
01:03:01.850 --> 01:03:06.850
And I say, that sounds great, Sue, why don't you do that?

1131
01:03:06.970 --> 01:03:07.963
And she does.

1132
01:03:08.860 --> 01:03:13.280
And he knew that she spent nearly 20 hours a week,

1133
01:03:13.280 --> 01:03:17.540
every week running the Access to Justice Commission.

1134
01:03:17.540 --> 01:03:22.540
And here's Sue secret about how she made it work.

1135
01:03:23.070 --> 01:03:27.310
She worked hard every day to implement a broad

1136
01:03:27.310 --> 01:03:31.630
and bold strategy for Access to Justice.

1137
01:03:31.630 --> 01:03:34.950
She never asked for credit or recognition,

1138
01:03:34.950 --> 01:03:36.780
whether Ralph called her on Saturday,

1139
01:03:36.780 --> 01:03:40.000
Sunday or Monday morning, she took the call

1140
01:03:40.000 --> 01:03:43.623
and cheerfully agreed to do whatever needed to be done.

1141
01:03:44.520 --> 01:03:49.053
I asked Ralph, how do I find a Sue Finegan?

1142
01:03:50.950 --> 01:03:53.633
And he said, oh, you're not gonna like the answer.

1143
01:03:54.900 --> 01:03:58.083
He said, there's only one Sue Finegan.

1144
01:03:59.700 --> 01:04:03.653
And finding her was like finding a rare treasure.

1145
01:04:04.600 --> 01:04:06.523
There is no other Sue Finegan.

1146
01:04:07.690 --> 01:04:09.063
This was sad news for me.

1147
01:04:11.160 --> 01:04:15.240
And so when Sue was nominated for a pro bono award,

1148
01:04:15.240 --> 01:04:19.060
the committee looked at her incredible contributions

1149
01:04:20.120 --> 01:04:23.570
in Access to Justice and basically decided,

1150
01:04:23.570 --> 01:04:26.660
we need a whole nother special award

1151
01:04:26.660 --> 01:04:30.823
for her because she's truly extraordinary.

1152
01:04:31.740 --> 01:04:35.160
If Ralph were here, he would be beaming with pride.

1153
01:04:35.160 --> 01:04:40.160
He would be so happy to see Sue recognized

1154
01:04:40.850 --> 01:04:45.420
for the truly singular and extraordinary work she has done

1155
01:04:45.420 --> 01:04:48.853
to improve access to justice in the Commonwealth.

1156
01:04:50.119 --> 01:04:51.769
(speaks in foreign language) Sue.

1157
01:04:52.870 --> 01:04:56.400
If Ralph were here, this is what he would say

1158
01:04:56.400 --> 01:05:00.530
to the 2020 award recipients.

1159
01:05:00.530 --> 01:05:05.143
Your work has been critical to the Commonwealth.

1160
01:05:06.020 --> 01:05:09.110
The work that you do with those

1161
01:05:09.110 --> 01:05:13.113
who have no one else to turn to, it matters.

1162
01:05:14.190 --> 01:05:19.030
And he was, and would be so grateful to you

1163
01:05:19.030 --> 01:05:21.960
for the extraordinary contributions

1164
01:05:21.960 --> 01:05:23.863
that we have learned about today.

1165
01:05:25.330 --> 01:05:29.660
Attorney Birnbaum, your work helping those

1166
01:05:29.660 --> 01:05:32.580
who have come out of prison or jail

1167
01:05:32.580 --> 01:05:35.520
is critical to our commitment

1168
01:05:35.520 --> 01:05:37.960
to developing in the Commonwealth,

1169
01:05:37.960 --> 01:05:41.080
a vibrant re-entry network.

1170
01:05:41.080 --> 01:05:43.763
Everybody deserves a second chance.

1171
01:05:44.770 --> 01:05:48.970
And Ralph was very proud that the legislature last August

1172
01:05:48.970 --> 01:05:53.970
created a statewide state funded re-entry network

1173
01:05:54.080 --> 01:05:57.450
for every person coming out of prison or jail,

1174
01:05:57.450 --> 01:06:00.953
regardless of their parole or probation status.

1175
01:06:01.990 --> 01:06:05.560
And that re-entry network is through

1176
01:06:05.560 --> 01:06:09.270
the Offices of Community Corrections.

1177
01:06:09.270 --> 01:06:13.160
And he was working with them on how to develop

1178
01:06:13.160 --> 01:06:17.520
the full strength of this statewide re-entry network,

1179
01:06:17.520 --> 01:06:21.410
which would include some of the work that you're doing

1180
01:06:22.250 --> 01:06:25.403
in helping people seal their records.

1181
01:06:26.860 --> 01:06:30.600
Attorney Rollins, your work with prisoners

1182
01:06:30.600 --> 01:06:35.320
and the Ograd case brought me to tears.

1183
01:06:35.320 --> 01:06:38.260
It makes all of us proud

1184
01:06:38.260 --> 01:06:41.600
to be part of the Boston legal community.

1185
01:06:41.600 --> 01:06:45.600
You represent what is best in all of us.

1186
01:06:45.600 --> 01:06:49.570
How did you find the courage and resilience

1187
01:06:49.570 --> 01:06:52.573
to soldier on for all those years?

1188
01:06:53.630 --> 01:06:58.630
Your work is a testament to your devotion to justice.

1189
01:06:59.010 --> 01:07:00.163
Thank you for it.

1190
01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:06.840
Attorney Westra and Ropes and Gray during a pandemic,

1191
01:07:07.000 --> 01:07:09.900
your work in creating a coalition

1192
01:07:09.900 --> 01:07:14.120
to support our region's nonprofits and small businesses,

1193
01:07:14.120 --> 01:07:18.207
so it was all of us, how one attorney

1194
01:07:18.207 --> 01:07:21.373
and one law firm can lead in a crisis.

1195
01:07:22.570 --> 01:07:27.570
You saw a gap and a problem, and you chose not to turn away.

1196
01:07:27.900 --> 01:07:30.330
You decided to address it.

1197
01:07:30.330 --> 01:07:33.640
You have done so, and this work is critical

1198
01:07:33.640 --> 01:07:36.720
to preserving our rich non-profit

1199
01:07:36.720 --> 01:07:38.783
and small business communities.

1200
01:07:40.060 --> 01:07:45.060
Finally, they say that the strength of any community

1201
01:07:45.720 --> 01:07:50.720
is not in how it treats its advantaged and its wealthy.

1202
01:07:52.790 --> 01:07:55.570
The strength of a community

1203
01:07:55.570 --> 01:07:59.710
is in how it treats those who are marginalized,

1204
01:07:59.710 --> 01:08:03.710
those who are disenfranchised and those who do not have

1205
01:08:03.710 --> 01:08:07.423
the resources they need to raise their voices.

1206
01:08:08.920 --> 01:08:13.030
All of you have shown that your work focuses

1207
01:08:13.030 --> 01:08:16.000
on the needs of those people.

1208
01:08:16.000 --> 01:08:20.680
You inspire us to follow in your footsteps.

1209
01:08:20.680 --> 01:08:23.480
Congratulations to all of you.

1210
01:08:23.480 --> 01:08:27.480
Thank you for your extraordinary and amazing work.

1211
01:08:44.860 --> 01:08:47.853
<v ->Soon after Chief Justice Gants passed away,</v>

1212
01:08:48.860 --> 01:08:53.110
the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services

1213
01:08:53.110 --> 01:08:56.780
decided with the enthusiastic support

1214
01:08:56.780 --> 01:08:59.700
of the Supreme Judicial Court

1215
01:09:00.700 --> 01:09:03.910
to issue a new award named in his honor,

1216
01:09:03.910 --> 01:09:07.920
the Ralph D. Gants Award for Extraordinary Leadership

1217
01:09:07.920 --> 01:09:09.653
in Pro Bono Services.

1218
01:09:12.550 --> 01:09:15.260
And there could be no more appropriate

1219
01:09:15.260 --> 01:09:18.410
and deserving recipient of this award

1220
01:09:18.410 --> 01:09:20.180
than attorney Sue Finegan,

1221
01:09:21.760 --> 01:09:24.560
who worked so closely with Chief Justice Gants

1222
01:09:24.560 --> 01:09:26.810
to increase pro bono engagement

1223
01:09:26.810 --> 01:09:31.240
and to improve access to justice while she served first,

1224
01:09:31.240 --> 01:09:34.460
as the chair of the committee on pro bono legal services,

1225
01:09:34.460 --> 01:09:37.030
and then as his co-chair

1226
01:09:37.030 --> 01:09:39.183
at the Access to Justice Commission.

1227
01:09:40.660 --> 01:09:44.340
Their partnership began when Chief Justice Gants

1228
01:09:44.340 --> 01:09:47.990
as the new co-chair of the Access to Justice Commission,

1229
01:09:47.990 --> 01:09:50.550
asked attorney Finegan for her assistance

1230
01:09:50.550 --> 01:09:53.343
and encouraging pro bono service by the private bar.

1231
01:09:55.450 --> 01:09:57.670
The collaboration led to many of the initiatives

1232
01:09:57.670 --> 01:09:59.360
that I had described earlier,

1233
01:09:59.360 --> 01:10:01.250
such as the Pro Bono Honor Roll

1234
01:10:01.250 --> 01:10:04.153
and the Civil Appeals Pro Bono Clinic.

1235
01:10:05.570 --> 01:10:06.970
One of their projects,

1236
01:10:06.970 --> 01:10:09.320
the Access to Justice Fellows Program,

1237
01:10:09.320 --> 01:10:10.973
deserves particular mention.

1238
01:10:13.520 --> 01:10:16.540
Attorney Finegan had been talking with her men's colleague,

1239
01:10:16.540 --> 01:10:19.800
Martha Coster about how they might engage the talents

1240
01:10:19.800 --> 01:10:22.300
and expertise of senior lawyers

1241
01:10:22.300 --> 01:10:25.743
and retired judges for pro bono service to the community.

1242
01:10:26.860 --> 01:10:29.300
They developed a plan and shared it

1243
01:10:29.300 --> 01:10:31.030
with the Chief Justice Gants

1244
01:10:31.030 --> 01:10:34.550
who enthusiastically supported it and agreed to sponsor it

1245
01:10:34.550 --> 01:10:37.303
as a program of the Access to Justice Commission.

1246
01:10:38.740 --> 01:10:41.670
Later, they engaged the support

1247
01:10:41.670 --> 01:10:44.603
of the Lawyers Clearinghouse to administer the program.

1248
01:10:45.840 --> 01:10:47.913
Since its launch in 2012,

1249
01:10:49.750 --> 01:10:54.610
the Access to Justice Program has supported 139 fellows

1250
01:10:54.610 --> 01:10:59.610
who have provided over 110,000 hours of pro bono service

1251
01:11:01.300 --> 01:11:06.300
to more than 80 different legal services organizations

1252
01:11:07.020 --> 01:11:09.953
and other nonprofit and court entities.

1253
01:11:11.060 --> 01:11:14.620
You've already heard today about how much one access

1254
01:11:14.620 --> 01:11:19.053
to justice fellow Christian Birnbaum has accomplished.

1255
01:11:20.170 --> 01:11:24.643
Now imagine the impact of 138 more fellows like her.

1256
01:11:25.870 --> 01:11:29.610
Just yesterday, attorney Finegan spoke at a kickoff event,

1257
01:11:29.610 --> 01:11:33.053
welcoming 14 new Access to Justice fellows.

1258
01:11:34.320 --> 01:11:38.460
And beyond that, the program has now become a national model

1259
01:11:38.460 --> 01:11:41.083
for similar programs in other States.

1260
01:11:42.950 --> 01:11:45.350
The Access to Justice Fellows Program

1261
01:11:45.350 --> 01:11:47.807
is but one example of the many pro bono

1262
01:11:47.807 --> 01:11:50.540
and access to justice initiatives

1263
01:11:50.540 --> 01:11:53.590
in which attorney Finegan has successfully inspired

1264
01:11:53.590 --> 01:11:57.530
and encourage others to join in a collective enterprise

1265
01:11:57.530 --> 01:12:02.530
that like the impact of a pebble dropped in a pond

1266
01:12:03.020 --> 01:12:08.020
ripples outward to engage and help more and more people.

1267
01:12:09.980 --> 01:12:14.343
Another example is the Civil Legal Aid to victims of crime.

1268
01:12:15.300 --> 01:12:18.700
Attorney Finegan collaborated with the Massachusetts Office

1269
01:12:18.700 --> 01:12:22.330
of Victim Assistance to channel federal funding

1270
01:12:22.330 --> 01:12:24.570
from the victims of crime act

1271
01:12:24.570 --> 01:12:26.700
to support legal services attorneys

1272
01:12:26.700 --> 01:12:28.950
who worked directly with crime victims

1273
01:12:28.950 --> 01:12:30.850
under a program that is administered

1274
01:12:30.850 --> 01:12:34.160
by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

1275
01:12:34.160 --> 01:12:36.733
and the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.

1276
01:12:37.670 --> 01:12:40.040
Since fiscal year 2018,

1277
01:12:40.040 --> 01:12:45.040
the program has provided more than $18 million to fund

1278
01:12:45.170 --> 01:12:50.170
as many as three dozen legal services attorneys

1279
01:12:50.530 --> 01:12:54.033
who assist crime victims with their civil legal needs.

1280
01:12:55.310 --> 01:12:56.730
And yet another example

1281
01:12:56.730 --> 01:13:00.870
is the Access to Justice Commissions COVID-19 Task Force

1282
01:13:00.870 --> 01:13:04.720
which attorney Finegan formed and chaired in the spring

1283
01:13:04.720 --> 01:13:07.700
to bring together representatives from the courts,

1284
01:13:07.700 --> 01:13:11.320
legal services, social services, bar associations

1285
01:13:11.320 --> 01:13:14.690
and law schools to develop coordinated responses

1286
01:13:14.690 --> 01:13:18.160
to the many access to justice challenges presented

1287
01:13:18.160 --> 01:13:19.233
by the pandemic.

1288
01:13:20.570 --> 01:13:22.140
Among other activities,

1289
01:13:22.140 --> 01:13:25.000
the task force worked with court leaders

1290
01:13:25.000 --> 01:13:28.120
to address new barriers faced by self-represented litigants

1291
01:13:28.120 --> 01:13:31.270
as the courts moved their proceedings online,

1292
01:13:31.270 --> 01:13:35.450
it promoted development and distribution of information

1293
01:13:35.450 --> 01:13:39.670
to social service advocates and self-represented litigants

1294
01:13:39.670 --> 01:13:43.550
on pandemic-related law and legal procedures

1295
01:13:43.550 --> 01:13:47.283
and developed and launched the COVID-19 Pro Bono Portal,

1296
01:13:48.580 --> 01:13:52.410
a collaborative tool connecting attorneys and law students

1297
01:13:52.410 --> 01:13:55.630
to pandemic-related pro bono opportunities

1298
01:13:55.630 --> 01:13:57.853
that serve low income residents.

1299
01:13:59.150 --> 01:14:02.130
Attorney Finegan's extraordinary record of accomplishments

1300
01:14:02.130 --> 01:14:05.530
such as these is all the more remarkable

1301
01:14:05.530 --> 01:14:08.600
because she has done it while simultaneously overseeing

1302
01:14:08.600 --> 01:14:12.770
approximately 300 pro bono cases annually

1303
01:14:12.770 --> 01:14:17.670
amidst as the chair of its pro bono committee

1304
01:14:17.670 --> 01:14:20.550
and personally serving as lead counsel

1305
01:14:20.550 --> 01:14:23.920
on many high profile pro bono matters.

1306
01:14:23.920 --> 01:14:25.700
Among other cases,

1307
01:14:25.700 --> 01:14:27.800
she has achieved a groundbreaking victory

1308
01:14:27.800 --> 01:14:31.720
for detained immigrants and a federal class action suit

1309
01:14:31.720 --> 01:14:34.000
that held the government's bond hearings

1310
01:14:34.000 --> 01:14:36.410
to be unconstitutional.

1311
01:14:36.410 --> 01:14:39.840
She successfully argued before the Supreme Judicial Court

1312
01:14:39.840 --> 01:14:43.100
for a civil right to counsel for individual parents

1313
01:14:43.100 --> 01:14:45.810
in certain guardianship matters.

1314
01:14:45.810 --> 01:14:48.090
She co-authored an Amicus brief

1315
01:14:48.090 --> 01:14:50.170
in support of transgender rights

1316
01:14:50.170 --> 01:14:52.330
for the United States Supreme Court.

1317
01:14:52.330 --> 01:14:54.050
And one of the cases consolidated

1318
01:14:54.050 --> 01:14:57.000
as Bostock versus Clayton County,

1319
01:14:57.000 --> 01:15:01.980
which held that title seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

1320
01:15:01.980 --> 01:15:04.410
protects employees against discrimination

1321
01:15:04.410 --> 01:15:08.063
because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

1322
01:15:09.510 --> 01:15:13.060
And she's represented numerous asylum (indistinct)

1323
01:15:13.060 --> 01:15:16.283
and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

1324
01:15:17.560 --> 01:15:20.180
The commitment and care that attorney Finegan brings

1325
01:15:20.180 --> 01:15:23.230
to these cases is evidenced in a letter

1326
01:15:23.230 --> 01:15:27.063
from one of her clients whom she saved from deportation.

1327
01:15:28.120 --> 01:15:32.080
The client writes, from the moment we talked,

1328
01:15:32.080 --> 01:15:34.980
Sue showed great care for my well-being.

1329
01:15:34.980 --> 01:15:39.980
She is patient, she is generous with her personal time,

1330
01:15:40.150 --> 01:15:43.380
she treats me with dignity and respect,

1331
01:15:43.380 --> 01:15:47.073
she made me feel safe, protected, and valued,

1332
01:15:48.040 --> 01:15:53.040
she visited me in jail, cried with me, brought me my things,

1333
01:15:53.320 --> 01:15:56.423
comforted me to the best of her ability.

1334
01:15:57.420 --> 01:16:00.580
She cared for me like I was a member of her family,

1335
01:16:00.580 --> 01:16:01.683
not just a client.

1336
01:16:02.890 --> 01:16:05.700
Her motivation is driven by love,

1337
01:16:05.700 --> 01:16:08.223
kindness and equality for all.

1338
01:16:09.420 --> 01:16:11.790
I would not be here today to write this letter

1339
01:16:11.790 --> 01:16:14.010
if it were not for her.

1340
01:16:14.010 --> 01:16:17.420
She has given me another chance to be with my family

1341
01:16:17.420 --> 01:16:20.133
in my country that I call home.

1342
01:16:22.290 --> 01:16:25.110
How can one person do so much?

1343
01:16:25.110 --> 01:16:26.790
People often ask the same question

1344
01:16:26.790 --> 01:16:28.413
about Chief Justice Gants.

1345
01:16:29.540 --> 01:16:31.940
And the answer is the same in this case as well.

1346
01:16:32.870 --> 01:16:36.270
Like Chief Justice Gants, attorney Finegan seems

1347
01:16:36.270 --> 01:16:38.938
to possess an inexhaustible energy

1348
01:16:38.938 --> 01:16:43.173
that is fueled by her intense desire to right every wrong.

1349
01:16:44.120 --> 01:16:47.670
Like him, she is a prodigious multi-tasker

1350
01:16:47.670 --> 01:16:49.760
with an uncanny ability to keep track

1351
01:16:49.760 --> 01:16:53.453
of an endless number of details on countless projects.

1352
01:16:54.530 --> 01:16:57.210
But also like Chief Justice Gants,

1353
01:16:57.210 --> 01:17:00.020
attorney Finegan would be the first to tell you

1354
01:17:00.020 --> 01:17:02.730
that she has been able to accomplish so much

1355
01:17:02.730 --> 01:17:05.683
because she has been helped by so many other people.

1356
01:17:07.620 --> 01:17:10.580
And it is here that we find their most

1357
01:17:10.580 --> 01:17:12.763
significant commentary.

1358
01:17:14.150 --> 01:17:18.570
Like Chief Justice Gants, attorney Finegan inspires others

1359
01:17:18.570 --> 01:17:21.340
through the depth of their own caring and commitment

1360
01:17:22.330 --> 01:17:26.200
to join her and give their utmost

1361
01:17:26.200 --> 01:17:28.503
to help others who are less fortunate.

1362
01:17:30.220 --> 01:17:34.130
And so it is with great appreciation

1363
01:17:34.130 --> 01:17:37.730
for a career filled with amazing achievements

1364
01:17:37.730 --> 01:17:40.290
that the Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee

1365
01:17:40.290 --> 01:17:44.420
on Pro Bono Legal Services is pleased

1366
01:17:44.420 --> 01:17:49.330
to bestow the inaugural Ralph D. Gants Award

1367
01:17:49.330 --> 01:17:53.070
for Extraordinary Leadership in Pro Bono Service

1368
01:17:53.070 --> 01:17:54.933
on attorney Sue Finegan.

1369
01:18:06.330 --> 01:18:07.670
<v ->Good evening, everyone.</v>

1370
01:18:07.670 --> 01:18:11.010
Thank you so much, Debbie, for your incredibly moving words.

1371
01:18:11.010 --> 01:18:12.370
And thank you, Justice Budd,

1372
01:18:12.370 --> 01:18:14.710
for that wonderful introduction.

1373
01:18:14.710 --> 01:18:17.350
Receiving an award at the Adams Award ceremony

1374
01:18:17.350 --> 01:18:19.630
is the most meaningful pro bono honor

1375
01:18:19.630 --> 01:18:22.033
any Massachusetts attorney can achieve.

1376
01:18:22.920 --> 01:18:25.490
But to receive the inaugural Ralph D. Gants Award

1377
01:18:25.490 --> 01:18:28.000
for Extraordinary Leadership in Pro Bono

1378
01:18:28.000 --> 01:18:30.983
is truly overwhelming and is so bittersweet.

1379
01:18:32.180 --> 01:18:33.300
Is a special honor

1380
01:18:33.300 --> 01:18:36.330
for me to receive this award from you, Justice Budd.

1381
01:18:36.330 --> 01:18:39.360
Some of you may know we started our careers together

1382
01:18:39.360 --> 01:18:43.160
as litigation associates at Mintz Levin many decades ago

1383
01:18:43.160 --> 01:18:45.740
and have remained friends ever since.

1384
01:18:45.740 --> 01:18:49.600
And what an honor to celebrate the chief's namesake award

1385
01:18:49.600 --> 01:18:52.390
with you on the day of your nomination

1386
01:18:52.390 --> 01:18:54.660
to fill the chief's seat.

1387
01:18:54.660 --> 01:18:57.300
News about which he would be extremely pleased.

1388
01:18:57.300 --> 01:18:58.833
He's smiling on us both.

1389
01:18:59.960 --> 01:19:01.650
It is also particularly fitting

1390
01:19:01.650 --> 01:19:04.500
because it was at Justice Budd's swearing in ceremony

1391
01:19:04.500 --> 01:19:07.960
to the Superior Court in June, 2010,

1392
01:19:07.960 --> 01:19:09.570
where the chief first approached me

1393
01:19:09.570 --> 01:19:12.000
to give me his thoughts on pro bono,

1394
01:19:12.000 --> 01:19:13.720
as he had just become the co-chair

1395
01:19:13.720 --> 01:19:16.140
of the Access to Justice Commission.

1396
01:19:16.140 --> 01:19:18.110
The lengthy memo that I produced

1397
01:19:18.110 --> 01:19:21.500
as a followup began our decade together

1398
01:19:21.500 --> 01:19:23.993
as partners in access to justice.

1399
01:19:25.370 --> 01:19:28.670
I have attended this award ceremony for the last 10 years,

1400
01:19:28.670 --> 01:19:31.650
privileged to be seated by the chief's side.

1401
01:19:31.650 --> 01:19:32.770
And as Debbie mentioned,

1402
01:19:32.770 --> 01:19:35.940
he loved this ceremony so much because to him,

1403
01:19:35.940 --> 01:19:38.910
it was so inspirational for all of us to hear

1404
01:19:38.910 --> 01:19:41.793
what lawyers can accomplish through pro bono work.

1405
01:19:42.780 --> 01:19:46.330
And so I thought I'd spend a few few minutes with you today

1406
01:19:46.330 --> 01:19:49.723
to share some insights as to why I do this work.

1407
01:19:50.690 --> 01:19:54.400
To answer this question, I will speak of three Cs,

1408
01:19:54.400 --> 01:19:57.303
clients, community and commitment.

1409
01:19:58.260 --> 01:20:00.470
First and foremost, I do this work

1410
01:20:00.470 --> 01:20:03.810
because of the incredible courage of my clients.

1411
01:20:03.810 --> 01:20:06.050
My typical client has experienced

1412
01:20:06.050 --> 01:20:09.890
some sort of devastating loss and as their lawyer,

1413
01:20:09.890 --> 01:20:12.690
my job is to help them with their legal problems

1414
01:20:12.690 --> 01:20:14.690
that result from that loss.

1415
01:20:14.690 --> 01:20:17.280
The loss of housing for a single mother

1416
01:20:17.280 --> 01:20:19.470
pregnant with her 10th child,

1417
01:20:19.470 --> 01:20:23.460
the loss of a limb in the Boston Marathon Bombing,

1418
01:20:23.460 --> 01:20:25.680
the profound loss of a daughter

1419
01:20:25.680 --> 01:20:28.850
who was senselessly murdered by her enraged boyfriend

1420
01:20:28.850 --> 01:20:33.160
or the loss of a homeland for a political asylum client.

1421
01:20:33.160 --> 01:20:35.880
The challenges these clients face every day

1422
01:20:35.880 --> 01:20:38.390
are unimaginable to most of us,

1423
01:20:38.390 --> 01:20:41.670
but despite this loss or perhaps because of it,

1424
01:20:41.670 --> 01:20:45.760
they manage to demonstrate such courage and strength.

1425
01:20:45.760 --> 01:20:48.680
And that strength manifests in different ways.

1426
01:20:48.680 --> 01:20:50.810
It could be by turning your life around

1427
01:20:50.810 --> 01:20:52.850
after long incarceration,

1428
01:20:52.850 --> 01:20:54.970
by working with gang involved youth

1429
01:20:54.970 --> 01:20:58.330
so you can lead them down a different path

1430
01:20:58.330 --> 01:21:01.200
or gathering the strength after many surgeries

1431
01:21:01.200 --> 01:21:03.180
to get yourself up every morning

1432
01:21:03.180 --> 01:21:07.577
and try to learn to walk again or taking the time

1433
01:21:07.577 --> 01:21:11.760
and the traumatic aftermath of a devastating sexual assault

1434
01:21:11.760 --> 01:21:14.180
to hand knit to your lawyer mittens

1435
01:21:14.180 --> 01:21:16.240
to keep her safe from the cold,

1436
01:21:16.240 --> 01:21:17.867
to thank her for her work

1437
01:21:17.867 --> 01:21:20.253
and keeping you safe from your abuser.

1438
01:21:21.470 --> 01:21:24.540
My clients remind me every day why I do this work

1439
01:21:24.540 --> 01:21:27.693
and helping them is what sustains me as a lawyer.

1440
01:21:28.660 --> 01:21:30.370
As far as community goes,

1441
01:21:30.370 --> 01:21:34.030
my work in pro bono and access to justice has introduced me

1442
01:21:34.030 --> 01:21:37.130
to so many committed advocates throughout the state.

1443
01:21:37.130 --> 01:21:40.840
It has quite honestly been one of the most unexpected

1444
01:21:40.840 --> 01:21:43.810
and uplifting parts of doing this work.

1445
01:21:43.810 --> 01:21:46.950
Getting to know the community of awe inspiring people

1446
01:21:46.950 --> 01:21:49.550
who are trying to do the right thing every day

1447
01:21:49.550 --> 01:21:52.030
to make things better for low-income people,

1448
01:21:52.030 --> 01:21:56.040
legal services lawyers, law firm pro bono professionals,

1449
01:21:56.040 --> 01:21:59.970
access to justice commissioners, nonprofit leaders,

1450
01:21:59.970 --> 01:22:01.910
access to justice fellows

1451
01:22:01.910 --> 01:22:06.250
and dedicated court staff and judges to name a few.

1452
01:22:06.250 --> 01:22:08.390
Indeed, during the many times

1453
01:22:08.390 --> 01:22:11.410
when I have felt overwhelmed in the past eight months,

1454
01:22:11.410 --> 01:22:14.040
trying to advocate for access to court systems

1455
01:22:14.040 --> 01:22:17.390
for self-represented litigants during the pandemic,

1456
01:22:17.390 --> 01:22:19.970
deeply troubled over the systemic racism

1457
01:22:19.970 --> 01:22:23.340
that plagues our country or worried about the thousands

1458
01:22:23.340 --> 01:22:26.570
of families across the state who faced eviction.

1459
01:22:26.570 --> 01:22:29.430
I have been heartened by the tremendous response

1460
01:22:29.430 --> 01:22:31.080
by so many in our community

1461
01:22:31.080 --> 01:22:33.100
who have stepped forward to help.

1462
01:22:33.100 --> 01:22:35.033
I share this award with all of you.

1463
01:22:35.910 --> 01:22:38.560
And the last thing I'll mention stands for commitment.

1464
01:22:38.560 --> 01:22:41.430
And by that, I mean commitment to the ideals

1465
01:22:41.430 --> 01:22:44.503
of what it means to be part of the legal profession.

1466
01:22:45.440 --> 01:22:48.200
In my personal statement in applying to law school,

1467
01:22:48.200 --> 01:22:52.310
my younger self wrote about the need for lawyers to advocate

1468
01:22:52.310 --> 01:22:55.270
for those whose lives were set on a different course

1469
01:22:55.270 --> 01:22:59.470
in large part due to income disparity or disability.

1470
01:22:59.470 --> 01:23:00.890
And when I got to law school,

1471
01:23:00.890 --> 01:23:03.000
I had the profound experience

1472
01:23:03.000 --> 01:23:05.870
of assisting practicing lawyers in Boston

1473
01:23:05.870 --> 01:23:07.770
with their political asylum cases

1474
01:23:07.770 --> 01:23:11.540
through an immigration class at Boston College Law School.

1475
01:23:11.540 --> 01:23:14.700
And thus began my own personal pro bono journey

1476
01:23:14.700 --> 01:23:16.600
for the next three decades,

1477
01:23:16.600 --> 01:23:19.160
working with individual pro bono clients

1478
01:23:19.160 --> 01:23:22.110
and also trying to promote systemic change

1479
01:23:22.110 --> 01:23:23.253
in the legal system.

1480
01:23:24.210 --> 01:23:26.980
As the chief and I would often discuss,

1481
01:23:26.980 --> 01:23:31.300
pro bono work is a lifelong activity starting in law school

1482
01:23:31.300 --> 01:23:33.830
and continuing on through retirement.

1483
01:23:33.830 --> 01:23:36.620
To paraphrase from one of the chief's favorite quotes

1484
01:23:36.620 --> 01:23:38.660
from Martin Luther King jr.

1485
01:23:38.660 --> 01:23:41.380
The arc of pro bono commitment is long,

1486
01:23:41.380 --> 01:23:45.070
spanning decades, but it bends towards justice.

1487
01:23:45.070 --> 01:23:48.570
I went to law school with the idealistic notion of believing

1488
01:23:48.570 --> 01:23:50.970
in the transformative power of the law

1489
01:23:50.970 --> 01:23:53.140
to make things better for those in need.

1490
01:23:53.140 --> 01:23:55.520
And now almost 30 years later,

1491
01:23:55.520 --> 01:23:58.403
I still believe in that transformative power.

1492
01:23:59.480 --> 01:24:03.770
And last, my thanks as Justice Budd noted,

1493
01:24:03.770 --> 01:24:05.950
you can't do this work alone.

1494
01:24:05.950 --> 01:24:08.710
My first thanks go to my family.

1495
01:24:08.710 --> 01:24:11.540
And while I didn't grow up in a family of lawyers,

1496
01:24:11.540 --> 01:24:14.990
I learned the importance of love and kindness

1497
01:24:14.990 --> 01:24:17.990
as well as public service and volunteering

1498
01:24:17.990 --> 01:24:20.080
from my two wonderful parents.

1499
01:24:20.080 --> 01:24:23.130
And I am so thankful to my husband and my sons

1500
01:24:23.130 --> 01:24:25.880
who have patiently allowed me to pursue this work,

1501
01:24:25.880 --> 01:24:28.080
even though it may have at times,

1502
01:24:28.080 --> 01:24:30.940
decrease the time I spend with them.

1503
01:24:30.940 --> 01:24:33.550
They understand how important this work is to me

1504
01:24:33.550 --> 01:24:35.200
and I'm grateful for that.

1505
01:24:35.200 --> 01:24:38.950
Next, my Mintz family, thank you to the attorneys and staff,

1506
01:24:38.950 --> 01:24:41.980
past and present for decades of friendship.

1507
01:24:41.980 --> 01:24:45.330
Thank you for welcoming me back to the firm 13 years ago

1508
01:24:45.330 --> 01:24:48.460
by creating this role of pro bono partner,

1509
01:24:48.460 --> 01:24:50.440
thank you for the steadfast support

1510
01:24:50.440 --> 01:24:53.400
of the wide ranging work we've been able to take on

1511
01:24:53.400 --> 01:24:56.233
and of my efforts with the Access to Justice Commission.

1512
01:24:57.440 --> 01:25:00.760
And to the justices of this court and to this committee

1513
01:25:00.760 --> 01:25:03.820
for bestowing on me this inaugural award.

1514
01:25:03.820 --> 01:25:06.250
Working on the Access to Justice Commission

1515
01:25:06.250 --> 01:25:08.460
and on the Pro Bono Committee for the court

1516
01:25:08.460 --> 01:25:12.610
with the chief has honestly been the honor of a lifetime.

1517
01:25:12.610 --> 01:25:14.980
And this volunteer work has connected me back

1518
01:25:16.480 --> 01:25:19.910
to where I began my legal career almost 30 years ago

1519
01:25:19.910 --> 01:25:22.490
as a law clerk to one of my first mentors,

1520
01:25:22.490 --> 01:25:26.003
the wise and warm-hearted, Justice Frank O'Connor.

1521
01:25:27.340 --> 01:25:31.010
And last thanks go to my dear friend, Ralph.

1522
01:25:31.010 --> 01:25:33.160
It is hard to put into words what the chief meant

1523
01:25:33.160 --> 01:25:36.210
to the justice system and to me personally,

1524
01:25:36.210 --> 01:25:38.180
so I won't attempt to hear.

1525
01:25:38.180 --> 01:25:41.030
So much has been said about all his accomplishments

1526
01:25:41.030 --> 01:25:43.410
and all that he did for so many.

1527
01:25:43.410 --> 01:25:45.110
All of that is true.

1528
01:25:45.110 --> 01:25:47.190
And I had the amazingly good fortune

1529
01:25:47.190 --> 01:25:51.140
of experiencing that up close every day.

1530
01:25:51.140 --> 01:25:53.840
But if the chief were here, he would ask us,

1531
01:25:53.840 --> 01:25:55.900
dare I say, implore us.

1532
01:25:55.900 --> 01:25:59.070
And perhaps by order of the court require us

1533
01:25:59.070 --> 01:26:02.540
to please stop talking about him and to roll up our sleeves

1534
01:26:02.540 --> 01:26:04.300
and to get back to work.

1535
01:26:04.300 --> 01:26:07.240
He would say as he did just a few months ago

1536
01:26:07.240 --> 01:26:10.130
and what was likely his last speech as chief

1537
01:26:10.130 --> 01:26:12.830
that pro bono work has never been more important

1538
01:26:12.830 --> 01:26:15.610
because there is so much to be done.

1539
01:26:15.610 --> 01:26:18.540
And as you heard in the ceremony today, he was right.

1540
01:26:18.540 --> 01:26:20.480
There is so much to be done.

1541
01:26:20.480 --> 01:26:22.250
Those with criminal records need help

1542
01:26:22.250 --> 01:26:25.200
with the restorative sealing and expungement process,

1543
01:26:25.200 --> 01:26:27.920
vulnerable nonprofits and businesses need help

1544
01:26:27.920 --> 01:26:29.800
with COVID-related legal issues

1545
01:26:29.800 --> 01:26:31.890
so they can continue to thrive

1546
01:26:31.890 --> 01:26:34.463
and innocent persons deserve to be freed.

1547
01:26:35.470 --> 01:26:38.870
I'll close by letting you all in on a secret.

1548
01:26:38.870 --> 01:26:41.630
While clients, commitment and community

1549
01:26:41.630 --> 01:26:44.840
do play a large role in why we do this work,

1550
01:26:44.840 --> 01:26:46.950
the real answer to the question,

1551
01:26:46.950 --> 01:26:49.070
why do you do this work question?

1552
01:26:49.070 --> 01:26:52.140
Or as my family or the Gants family might ask,

1553
01:26:52.140 --> 01:26:54.650
why do you do this work seven days a week?

1554
01:26:54.650 --> 01:26:58.540
The answer is simple because in fact it isn't work at all,

1555
01:26:58.540 --> 01:27:00.520
but a labor of love.

1556
01:27:00.520 --> 01:27:05.460
And so I would ask all of us to re-dedicate ourselves

1557
01:27:05.460 --> 01:27:09.220
in this great sorrow due to the loss of our beloved chief,

1558
01:27:09.220 --> 01:27:11.200
but also in this great time of need

1559
01:27:11.200 --> 01:27:12.870
throughout the Commonwealth

1560
01:27:12.870 --> 01:27:16.270
to be courageous like our clients,

1561
01:27:16.270 --> 01:27:19.330
to be committed to our profession's ideals,

1562
01:27:19.330 --> 01:27:21.670
and to continue to gain support

1563
01:27:21.670 --> 01:27:24.560
from this incredible legal community.

1564
01:27:24.560 --> 01:27:28.590
Please join me in honor of the chief in this labor of love.

1565
01:27:28.590 --> 01:27:29.423
Thank you.

1566
01:27:40.510 --> 01:27:42.710
<v ->I am truly humbled and inspired</v>

1567
01:27:42.710 --> 01:27:44.750
by all of our award recipients.

1568
01:27:44.750 --> 01:27:46.920
On behalf of the SJC Standing Committee

1569
01:27:46.920 --> 01:27:48.980
on Pro Bono Legal Services,

1570
01:27:48.980 --> 01:27:52.123
thank you all for your exemplary pro bono service.

1571
01:27:53.016 --> 01:27:55.080
A few additional thank you's.

1572
01:27:55.080 --> 01:27:56.870
Submitting an Adams Award nomination

1573
01:27:56.870 --> 01:27:59.030
requires significant time and work.

1574
01:27:59.030 --> 01:28:01.570
The committee is very grateful to all of our nominators

1575
01:28:01.570 --> 01:28:04.070
for their willingness to help us identify,

1576
01:28:04.070 --> 01:28:08.040
recognize and celebrate exceptional pro bono service.

1577
01:28:08.040 --> 01:28:09.400
I'd also like to thank the people

1578
01:28:09.400 --> 01:28:12.350
whose hard work made this event possible.

1579
01:28:12.350 --> 01:28:14.860
SJC executive director, Carol Lev,

1580
01:28:14.860 --> 01:28:17.880
and administrator and program director Blanca Tosado

1581
01:28:17.880 --> 01:28:20.470
for their help with planning today's ceremony.

1582
01:28:20.470 --> 01:28:23.670
Erica Gully Santiago, Kathleen Capstick,

1583
01:28:23.670 --> 01:28:27.470
and Vanessa Scott of the SJC Public Information Office

1584
01:28:27.470 --> 01:28:30.130
for their extensive assistant with web content

1585
01:28:30.130 --> 01:28:32.410
and communications related to this event

1586
01:28:32.410 --> 01:28:34.530
and the Pro Bono Honor Roll.

1587
01:28:34.530 --> 01:28:37.250
Kevin Buckley, senior web manager for the trial court

1588
01:28:37.250 --> 01:28:41.000
for creating new online forms for the Pro Bono Honor Roll,

1589
01:28:41.000 --> 01:28:43.740
Chrissy Lamont, web manager for the trial court

1590
01:28:43.740 --> 01:28:46.390
for designing our award certificates,

1591
01:28:46.390 --> 01:28:49.350
Ellen O'Connor, Donna Greco,

1592
01:28:49.350 --> 01:28:54.090
Emily Karavisis and Kate Dulit, excuse me,

1593
01:28:54.090 --> 01:28:56.580
of the trial court's judicial institute,

1594
01:28:56.580 --> 01:29:00.610
SJC information officer Jeff Travers

1595
01:29:00.610 --> 01:29:02.700
and Chris Dwyer of Suffolk University

1596
01:29:02.700 --> 01:29:03.830
for their help with producing

1597
01:29:03.830 --> 01:29:06.920
and presenting today's ceremony online.

1598
01:29:06.920 --> 01:29:10.260
Diana Stroud, former law clerk to justice Kafker

1599
01:29:10.260 --> 01:29:12.970
for permitting us to use her beautifully evocative sketch

1600
01:29:12.970 --> 01:29:14.120
of Chief Justice Gants.

1601
01:29:16.470 --> 01:29:19.470
If you have been inspired by what you heard today,

1602
01:29:19.470 --> 01:29:21.360
I urge you to seek out opportunities

1603
01:29:21.360 --> 01:29:23.700
for providing pro bono legal services

1604
01:29:23.700 --> 01:29:25.940
for the many residents of Massachusetts

1605
01:29:25.940 --> 01:29:28.590
who need your help now more than ever.

1606
01:29:28.590 --> 01:29:31.460
You can find a list of opportunities for pro bono service

1607
01:29:31.460 --> 01:29:35.430
on a special website, massprobono.org.

1608
01:29:35.430 --> 01:29:40.430
That's M-A-S-S-P-R-O-B-O-N-O.org, no spaces,

1609
01:29:41.170 --> 01:29:43.120
massprobono.org.

1610
01:29:43.120 --> 01:29:45.460
There you will find a wide range of opportunities

1611
01:29:45.460 --> 01:29:48.900
in areas such as consumer law, disability law,

1612
01:29:48.900 --> 01:29:52.040
family law, housing law, immigration law,

1613
01:29:52.040 --> 01:29:53.873
public benefits law, and more.

1614
01:29:55.250 --> 01:29:58.673
If you are particularly interested in the eviction crisis,

1615
01:29:59.600 --> 01:30:01.230
please find out how you can help

1616
01:30:01.230 --> 01:30:03.910
by calling the Volunteers Lawyers Project,

1617
01:30:03.910 --> 01:30:06.310
that's the Volunteer Lawyers Project,

1618
01:30:06.310 --> 01:30:08.920
or any of the regional legal services organizations

1619
01:30:08.920 --> 01:30:10.083
in Massachusetts.

1620
01:30:11.290 --> 01:30:13.010
We invite you to stay on the livestream

1621
01:30:13.010 --> 01:30:15.800
for a few additional moments so that you can see the names

1622
01:30:15.800 --> 01:30:19.080
of all of the individual attorneys, legal organizations

1623
01:30:19.080 --> 01:30:20.720
and law students who have qualified

1624
01:30:20.720 --> 01:30:23.970
for the SJC Pro Bono Honor Roll this year.

1625
01:30:23.970 --> 01:30:25.960
Congratulations to all of these new members

1626
01:30:25.960 --> 01:30:28.260
of the Honor Roll and congratulations

1627
01:30:28.260 --> 01:30:32.280
to our award recipients, Crispin Birnbaum, Jim Rollins,

1628
01:30:32.280 --> 01:30:34.653
Christian Westra and Sue Finegan.

1629
01:30:35.640 --> 01:30:37.810
On behalf of the SJC Standing Committee

1630
01:30:37.810 --> 01:30:39.720
on Pro Bono Legal Services,

1631
01:30:39.720 --> 01:30:42.233
thank you all very much for joining us today.

1632
01:31:08.214 --> 01:31:10.631
(soft music)

1633
01:34:11.270 --> 01:34:14.023
<v Woman>Thank you all, this concludes our program.</v>