CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2019 — The ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services has selected Court Square Law Project to receive the 2019 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access.
The award honors Court Square’s commitment to increasing legal services to those of modest means, and specifically spotlighted its collaborative efforts with the New York City Bar, the City University of New York School of Law and a host of New York’s leading law firms.
Court Square seeks to close the justice gap while preparing new lawyers to enter a changing profession. It was established as a pilot project to “design and test a mission-driven, commercial business model to deliver a defined set of legal services to people who can afford to pay something, but who do not have practical access … to such services at an affordable rate.”
The award originated in 1995 and honors the work of Louis M. Brown, who for more than 60 years worked toward improving access to legal services for those of moderate incomes. The award itself honors the work of those who advance this mission in ways that are remarkable and replicable.
The Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services is also awarding Concord Law School, which is affiliated with Purdue University Global, with the Brown Select Award. The Select Award is awarded annually to the nominee that gets the most online votes from the public. Concord Law was the first fully online U.S. law school to join a legal incubator. The goal of the collaboration was to help overcome cost and geographic barriers to access to justice while encouraging the development of graduates” virtual and traditional law practices.
Also, in recognition of more than 25 years of service dedicated to the issue of legal access, the committee will present William Hornsby, the standing committee’s former staff counsel, with the Louis M. Brown Lifetime Achievement Award. Through years of dedication to addressing the issue of legal access, Hornsby has contributed to vast research and numerous articles and speaking engagements, all of which continue through his private practice.
The Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services will present the 2019 awards on Friday, Jan. 25, at a joint luncheon of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, National Association of Bar Executives and National Conference of Bar Foundations during the 2019 ABA Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas.
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