Legal Aid of NC praises Alston & Bird LLP for outstanding
pro bono work
March 2, 2005 Media Release
(Charlotte, NC)
– The Board of Directors of
Legal Aid of
North Carolina (LANC) has
unanimously approved a
resolution in appreciation of the Alston & Bird law firm for its
pro bono and financial contributions over the past three years.
“Alston &
Bird has, in a short time, has amassed a great record of
multifaceted contributions to pro bono services in Charlotte,” said
Ted Fillette, senior managing attorney in LANC’s Charlotte office,
“and has demonstrated for the bar how to meet in exemplary fashion
the dual aspects of professionalism in Rule 0.1(7) of the Revised
Rules of Professional Conduct. It is time to
recognize their remarkable achievements.”
Fillette noted that in 2004,
Alston &
Bird attorneys donated 1,530 hours at no charge to LANC’s
clients, the Children’s Center and other service providers,
representing an average of greater than 27 hours per attorney from
their Charlotte office. In
addition to their pro bono work, Alston & Bird made substantial
financial donations to LANC and
Legal Services of
Southern Piedmont in
Mecklenburg
County, and also donated
their legal fee awards in the course of their pro bono court cases.
Because of Alston & Bird’s financial contributions, LANC was able to
establish the Alston & Bird Fellowship, which supports the work of a
paralegal in the
LANC’s Charlotte office to assist LANC attorneys who represent
low-income workers in
Mecklenburg
County.
“What distinguishes Alston & Bird in this pro bono effort is
that that their intellectual property matters practice is typically
performed in courts completely separate from the administrative and
courts of the state, where virtually all of the legal need of
indigents seeking pro bono assistance are addressed,” said Fillette.
“In order to help us with our cases, they established an
in-house pro bono coordinator, attended training classes during
their lunch hours and made pro bono activity a priority.”
Kevin O’Brien has served as Alston & Bird’s in-house pro bono
coordinator since 2003. In order to prepare his
firm’s attorneys to help LANC’s indigent clients, O’Brien organized
user-friendly CLE (continuing legal education) programs at the
firm’s office in two-hour session with lunch provided.
Legal Aid specialists provided instruction on handling
domestic violence protective orders and representing tenants with
repair problems and evictions. As a result,
Alston & Bird increased its pro bono work dramatically since 2003.
“Their attorneys, especially Kevin O’Brien, John Higgins, Frank Leak
and Anne Randall, have rendered exemplary pro bono services to
clients referred by Legal Aid of NC,” remarked Fillette.
“The contributions and services of Alston & Bird have
prevented homelessness of the clients’ families and obtained
substantial compensation for their legal rights.”
“We greatly appreciate the dedicated and superior contribution of
pro bono services and financial resources of Alton & Bird,” added
Fillette.
Alston & Bird LLP
is a major United States law firm with an extensive national
and international practice through offices in
Atlanta,
Charlotte, New York,
Research
Triangle
Park and Washington, DC.
Alston & Bird provides litigation, tax, intellectual property and
technology, and transactional legal services, and is ranked ninth
among Fortune® Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For.™"
Legal Aid of
North Carolina (LANC). is a statewide,
nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil
matters to eligible, low-income people in all 100 counties in
North Carolina
through 24, geographically located offices in North Carolina. LANC’s clients typically
have an annual income of 125% or less of the federally established
poverty levels.
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CONTACTS:
Ted Fillette (Senior Managing Attorney, LANC-Charlotte Office,
Charlotte, NC); 704-971-2583
Cindy Patton (Managing Attorney, LANC-Charlotte Office, Charlotte,
NC);
704-971-2621
Dock Kornegay (Director, Public Relations & Development, Raleigh,
NC); 919-856-2132
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Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm
that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income
people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove
legal barriers to economic opportunity.