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President's Cornerby Charles S. McDowell, Esquire This month’s issue of IN RE: focuses
on pro bono activities of our members. As noted in last month’s
column, the Bar Association’s Executive Committee has recently
readopted the “Principles of Professionalism for Delaware
Lawyers.” The redrafted “Principles” reflect
a renewed emphasis on pro bono and other charitable community
services: “A lawyer should assist and substantially
participate in civic, educational and charitable organizations.
A lawyer should render substantial professional services on
a charitable, or pro bono publico, basis on behalf of those
persons who cannot afford adequate legal assistance.” Consistent with this renewed emphasis on pro bono
activities, the Executive Committee removed certain DSBA award
presentations from the crowded Bench and Bar agenda and combined
them with the annual end of campaign event for the Combined
Campaign for Justice to create a special event honoring exceptional
pro bono activities of some of our members. On November 4 I
had the pleasure of presiding over our first “Celebration
of Service”. The feature speaker for the event was Ned Carpenter
whose remarks are reprinted at page 15. For more than half a
century, Ned has been a wonderful role model for all of us through
his leadership in the Bar, in our community, and even at the
national level. The Pro Bono Award for Achievement was presented
to Tiffany Ann Poole with the firm of Rahaim and Saints for
her exemplary contribution of pro bono services over a short
period of time (generally a one to three year period). Tiffany
has only been a member of the Bar since 1999 but in that short
time she has amassed an impressive record of pro bono service.
She has contributed extensive time to the Family Violence Outreach
Clinic, where she met with victims of domestic violence at various
community centers and many times represented the clients in
court for protection from abuse, custody hearings or divorce
matters. Tiffany has handled 12 cases from DVLS over the past
two years, assisting clients with legal issues ranging from
divorce and protection from abuse to bankruptcy. She also volunteers
for DVLS’s PFA Pro Bono Program; she has handled two cases
for the Office of the Child Advocate; she has volunteered for
the Victim Advocate Program and the Attorney Counseling Evening;
and has assisted with the new attorney counseling project through
the Family Court Self Help Center. The Pro Bono Award for Leadership was presented
for the second straight year to the firm of Henry Clay Davis,
III, P.A. This award is presented to the legal organization
(legal department or law office) demonstrating outstanding leadership
in the field of pro bono service to poor people in Delaware.
The three attorneys in this office have offered their time,
expertise and support to assist numerous poverty level clients
in Sussex County, handling 17 pro bono cases through DVLS in
recent years. DVLS and the Office of the Child Advocate are
located in New Castle County and have historically not had a
strong presence in Sussex County. However, both agencies are
trying to strengthen their presence in the lower two counties.
To this end, Clay Davis has taken it upon himself to publicize
the rewards and benefits of providing legal services to the
poor to the Sussex County Bar Association. The Pro Bono Award for Commitment was presented
to Vice Chancellor Don Parsons for his sustained commitment
to pro bono work throughout his career. As you know, Vice Chancellor
Parsons has recently left a very distinguished career with Morris
Nichols Arsht & Tunnell to assume his new position on the
Court of Chancery. While in private practice Don Parsons single-handedly
changed the face of legal assistance to the poor in Delaware.
He was the first chair of the DSBA’s Legal Services to
Low Income Persons Committee when it was created in 1995. That
Committee’s purpose is to promote collaboration among service
providers and to improve the provision of legal services to
low income people. An early significant achievement of the LIP
Committee was the creation of the Legal Help Link, the centralized
intake system that coordinates the services of agencies that
provide legal assistance to low income individuals in Delaware.
In 1998, also under the leadership of Don Parsons,
the Combined Campaign for Justice was created. This successful
campaign has doubled what each agency received on its own in
prior separate campaigns (going from a total of less than $250,000
in 1997 to more than $500,000 this year). The Combined Campaign
for Justice received national recognition from the American
Bar Association and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association
when Don and the Campaign received the 2000 Harrison Tweed Award
recognizing extraordinary achievement in increasing access to
civil legal services for low income people. In his “spare”
time Don also managed to contribute more than 200 hours during
the last four years to representation of indigent individuals
through DVLS and the Office of the Child Advocate. A Distinguished Mentoring Award, presented to
a Delaware lawyer or judge who, by distinguished mentoring of
other Delaware lawyers (or future lawyers) over a period of
many years, has served as an inspiration to and a role model
for those lawyers in striving for and maintaining the highest
standards in their professional careers and in their community
involvement, was presented to Harvey Bernard Rubenstein. Harvey
was recognized for his efforts over the years to encourage younger
lawyers to participate in and take leadership positions in the
Bar. Harvey was nominated by a diverse group of Bar leaders
including five former presidents of the Bar Association. Finally, our first Celebration of Service broke
some more new ground by including special pro bono awards made
by the Delaware Paralegal Association. Janice Billingsley of
Fish & Richardson and Jeanette Raiford of the DuPont Legal
Department were recognized for their work assisting the volunteer
attorneys with the Self Help Center at the Family Court. The
members of the Delaware Paralegal Association engage in many
pro bono activities and they are certainly to be commended for
their efforts. Congratulations to all of these awardees. You
certainly have set a great example for all of us. Charlie is a partner with Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP and he can be reached at (302) 984-6012 or cmcdowell@potteranderson.com Return to December 2003 Table of Contents.
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