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    PRO BONO

    ABA to honor four lawyers, law firm for volunteer work

    June 7, 2021

    The American Bar Association will present awards later this summer to four individual lawyers and a law firm for demonstrating outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for the poor and disadvantaged.

    The ABA Pro Bono Publico Awards honor attorneys and firms for their commitment to legal services for the poor and disadvantaged.

    The ABA Pro Bono Publico Awards honor attorneys and firms for their commitment to legal services for the poor and disadvantaged.

    The Pro Bono Publico Awards are the top honors given by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, which celebrates pro bono efforts of individual lawyers, firms and other entities in the legal profession. The awards will be presented virtually on the first day of the ABA Hybrid Annual Meeting, which will run online and in-person in Chicago from Aug. 4 to 10.

    Recipients of the 2021 Pro Bono Publico Awards are:

    • Cynthia Chandler, director, Bay Area Legal Incubator, Oakland, California: Since 2015, Chandler has grown the incubator, which coaches diverse attorneys to build successful, affordable law practices serving low- and middle-income clients throughout California.
    • TerryAnn Howell, Nelson Mullins, Miami, Florida: Upon her departure from public service work in 2019 to Big Law, Howell went right back to assisting low-income individuals when she began volunteering in the Tenants’ Equal Justice Clinic, a project of Legal Services of Greater Miami.
    • Neal Manne, Susman Godfrey LLP, Houston, Texas: A managing partner, Manne has shown a 40-year commitment to high-impact pro bono work. He has been honored repeatedly for his pro bono leadership, including by the American College of Trial Lawyers.
    • Rebecca Rapp, Ascendium Education Group, Madison, Wisconsin: The top lawyer at Ascendium, a nonprofit committed to improving access to education and employment, Rapp employs technology to increase the reach of pro bono and is involved with rural legal projects.
    • Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP:  After the death of George Floyd, the global firm launched a project with Georgetown Law to create a culture of active police bystandership aimed at helping police to effectively intervene to prevent officer misconduct and avoid mistakes.

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