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Bar News - February 8, 2002 President's Pro Bono Awards Given at Mid-Year Meeting Luncheon By: Lisa Sandford IN ADDTION TO the previously announced President’s Awards, three unannounced awards for pro bono service were given out during the luncheon of this year’s NHBA Mid-Year Meeting. Two L. Jonathan Ross Awards were given out by the Bar’s Pro Bono Program to attorney John C. Norton and the Hampton law firm of Sanders & McDermott. Norton, a solo practitioner in Keene, was honored for his commitment to providing pro bono legal assistance to the poor. Since 1973, Norton has provided direct legal representation to low-income families and individuals on matters ranging from divorce to consumer fraud, and has hosted and participated in numerous Pro Bono referral marathons. He joined the Pro Bono Governing Policy Board in 1994 and in 2001 was elected chair of the board after serving many years as vice-chair. Norton has played a key role in Pro Bono’s success in securing increased support from the Monadnock United Way and serves as editor of the Pro Bono Program’s "Pro Se Divorce Booklet." His latest endeavor is looking at unbundled legal services as a way to provide more people with access to our justice system. "Woven throughout John Norton’s career is a concern for those less fortunate," said NHBA President Peter E. Hutchins in presenting the award to Norton. "He has applied his legal knowledge and skills to make a difference. We need more volunteers like John Norton who make delivery of legal services to the poor a priority." The second L. Jonathan Ross Award was presented to Sanders & McDermott for its flourishing pro bono ethic. Time and time again, the lawyers and staff of the 10-attorney firm "have turned aspirational Pro Bono goals into reality," said Hutchins. Participating in Pro Bono’s "Take One Case for Justice" program, Sanders & McDermott has taken almost 60 pro bono cases in the past seven years alone. In just the past two years, the firm’s commitment has yielded close to 550 reported hours of free legal services to those in need, equal to tens of thousands of dollars in donated time. In addition, the firm has hosted and participated in several Pro Bono referral marathons. Larry Edelman, pro bono coordinator for Sanders & McDermott, is a longtime member of the Pro Bono Governing Policy Board. "Today we recognize and affirm the attorneys and staff of Sanders & McDermott for their steadfast belief in and contributions to access to justice for the poor. The firm should be an inspiration to us all to remember and act on the special responsibilities we have as lawyers to use our skills and training to serve those less fortunate," said Hutchins in making the award. Wilfred L. "Jack" Sanders, a founding partner of the firm, accepted the award "on behalf of all lawyers in the state who believe we should do (pro bono work)." "We do it because it is a part of our profession, we owe it to our community," Sanders said. Attorney and Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Robert E. Dastin, NH chair for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Committee, and LT. Col. Gary P. Cyr, ESGR executive director, presented the New Hampshire Bar Association with the other unannounced honor, the ESGR Seven Seals Award. The Bar was honored for the outstanding volunteer legal support its members provided during recent months to those citizen soldiers called to active military duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. Accepting the award on behalf of the Bar was Christopher T. Regan, a Dover attorney and former president of the Strafford County Bar Association. Although Bar members from all over the state responded to the call for volunteers to assist members of the military with pre-mobilization estate-planning needs, attorneys in Strafford County were in the forefront of the effort. Because of the Bar’s volunteer effort, many of the deploying military members and their families were able to get wills or power-of-attorney documents completed prior to deployment, Dastin said. Dastin praised the NH Bar for being supportive of the state’s reservists, who make up 53 percent of all military personnel in NH. "Twenty-five years ago, we were admonished for practicing law...fortunately those days have been gone for a long time," said Dastin. "Recently when we put out a call, an outpouring of support by the bar was apparent, particularly in Rockingham and Strafford Counties. That kind of support makes me proud to be a lawyer," he said. In accepting the Seven Seals Award, Regan expressed gratitude to the Bar Association’s Pro Bono Program and to Association staff members, including Executive Director Jeannine McCoy and Associate Executive Director for Legal Services Virginia Martin, for their personal assistance in recruiting and coordinating volunteers. The first award of the afternoon, the Distinguished Service to the Public Award, was presented by Hutchins and NH Supreme Court Associate Justice John T. Broderick, Jr., to W. John Funk, of Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, Concord, for his service to the public on behalf of the administration of justice. Funk has been very active in the NH Bar Foundation and numerous legal services efforts, particularly on the fundraising front. Hutchins and Broderick presented the Vickie M. Bunnell Award for Community Service to Paul D. Desjardins, of Russell & Desjardins, which has offices in Lancaster, Whitefield and Colebrook. The award is presented to an attorney from a small firm who has exhibited dedication and devotion to community by giving of his or her time and talents, legal or otherwise. Desjardins has served as a judge in Colebrook District Court since 1990, the same court as Bunnell. See the Jan. 18, 2002 issue of Bar News, in under Publications/Archives for details on the awards to Funk and Desjardins.
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