Pierce Atwood Receives Two Pro Bono Awards at 2016 Maine State Bar Association Winter Meeting

At the Maine State Bar Association’s annual meeting, Pierce Atwood was honored to receive two awards for its commitment to providing pro bono counsel to those who need, but cannot access legal representation:

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) selected Pierce Atwood as its 2015 Law Firm of the Year Award in recognition of its commitment to pro bono work on behalf of asylum seekers and other non-citizens. With more than a dozen attorneys on ILAP’s panel of lawyers, Pierce Atwood has been a strong supporter of ILAP for many years, having donated more than $160,000 in billable time in 2015 to cases referred by ILAP. The firm’s Portland office was also pleased to host ILAP’s pro bono training in May 2015, where a judge from the Boston Immigration court and the Boston Court’s administrator provided a presentation to about 25 area lawyers.

In its award announcement, ILAP also recognized Pierce Atwood partner Tony Derosby, who “has shown tireless support for our pro bono program by advertising, firmwide, the cases we are trying to place and lending his expertise to all of the asylum cases that the firm is handling.“ 

Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP), a legal aid organization that provides free legal information, assistance, and representation to Mainers with low incomes facing civil legal issues, has recognized Pierce Atwood as the law firm that has accepted the most cases in a year. Firm partner and pro bono coordinator Jared des Rosiers has proactively led this effort by soliciting the VLP for cases each month, without VLP first putting out the call seeking referrals. Pierce Atwood also participates in the Maine Homeless Legal Project by staffing the homeless clinic one month per year. The Maine Homeless Legal Project is supported by Maine VLP, Preble Street, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, and The American Bar Association.

Pierce Atwood partner Meg LePage, Chair of Maine’s Campaign for Justice, spoke at the meeting, and firm partner Jared des Rosiers accepted the awards on behalf of Pierce Atwood and its many attorneys who have contributed nearly 1,000 pro bono hours to both organizations.

For more information about Pierce Atwood’s pro bono efforts and the organizations it supports, please visit the pro bono pages of our website.