NY State Bar Association, Courts to Launch Pro Bono Network to Help With Pandemic Response
The "pent-up demand" for legal services will be enormous, said Hank Greenberg, president of the NYSBA. Former New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who is now of counsel at Latham & Watkins, is leading the effort to organize the new network.
March 29, 2020 at 05:34 PM
3 minute read
The New York State Bar Association announced it is ready, in conjunction with the court system, to launch a pro bono network Monday, inviting lawyers all over the state to help respond to a surge in legal needs related to the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the economy.
Organizational efforts must begin now, NYSBA President Henry M. "Hank" Greenberg said so that lawyers are ready and able to help when the economy begins to restart and the courts move back to full operations. The "pent-up demand" for legal services will be enormous, he said.
"I think you're gonna see institutional legal service providers overwhelmed, legal aid societies overwhelmed, with requests for legal services to handle claims by creditors and potential eviction proceedings and you name it," Greenberg said. "Never before has there been a greater need for pro bono legal services than there will be at that moment."
Former New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who is now of counsel at Latham & Watkins, is leading the effort to organize the new network. Lawyers will have a real opportunity to live up to the mission of serving others and providing justice for all, said Lippman, who has championed pro bono work and equal access to justice throughout his career.
"The pro bono work in this bar has been spectacular, but this is a problem we've never faced before," he said.
Lippman said the network was inspired by the thousands of retired health care workers who answered New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's call for a reserve corps of medical staff to support those dealing with the pandemic.
To start, network leaders will be asking bar associations, law schools, existing legal service providers and big law firms to get involved. Every lawyer will be welcome to join the effort, including those whose licenses aren't active right now, Greenberg said.
Greenberg noted that the NYSBA has created a separate task force to help solo practitioners and small firms hit hard by the economic effects of the coronavirus, so requests for pro bono assistance will be focused elsewhere for now.
Details of the network's structure, including how clients will be connected with counsel, are still being worked out, Greenberg said.
Lippman and Greenberg said New York is the first state to launch a pro bono network in response to the coronavirus. Lippman said he hopes it will serve as a template for the rest of the country as other states continue to deal with the pandemic.
READ MORE:
Definition of 'Essential' Court Services in COVID-19 Response Begins to Come Into Focus
As Cuomo Imposes '100% Workforce Reduction,' Law Firms Wrestle With Details
Freeze in Most Civil Filings Brings Concern, Frustration for New York Litigators
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllRetired Judge Susan Cacace Elected Westchester DA in Win for Democrats
In Eric Adams Case and Other Corruption Matters, Prosecutors Seem Bent on Pushing Boundaries of Their Already Awesome Power
5 minute readEric Adams Trial Set for April as Defense Urges Dismissal of Bribery Count
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250