City Bar Justice Center Announces Honorees of Its 2023 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards

The City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2023 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards. Honoring volunteer attorneys who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to justice, the awards will be bestowed at an in-person celebration on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.

This year’s awardees are:

Andrew Lichtman, Partner at Jenner & Block
Boaz I. Cohen, Associate at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
David Oppliger, Attorney at Oppliger Law
Eric B. Lewin, Counsel with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Florian Fuhrimann, Associate Attorney at Jenner & Block
Fredric M. Brooks, Counsel at Blank Rome
James T. Bentley, Counsel at Winston & Strawn
Keun Young Bae, Senior Associate at WilmerHale
Sarah Libowsky, Associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Thomas R. Makin, Partner at Shearman & Sterling

Hon. Shahabuddeen A. Ally, Supervising Judge/Acting Supreme Court Justice, New York County Civil Court will deliver this year’s keynote address. Susan Kohlmann, President of the New York City Bar Association, and Alison Morpurgo, Managing Director at UBS Legal and Executive Sponsor of UBS’s Pro Bono Program, will offer remarks and present the awards.

“We are grateful and proud to recognize the exemplary compassion and commitment of volunteer attorneys who embody the Justice Center’s mission to increase access to justice through pro bono work. Among our roughly 1,800 pro bono volunteers of the past year, these ten volunteers deserve special recognition for exhibiting unique creativity, expertise, and passion in providing exceptional pro bono services to our clients and projects, expanding equity for New Yorkers of limited means,” said Kurt M. Denk, Executive Director of the City Bar Justice Center.

Cassandra Celestin, Director of Pro Bono Initiatives at the Justice Center, said, “Our award recipients, some of whom have been working with the Justice Center for years, consistently go the extra mile to ensure that our clients are legally protected, informed, and empowered. We are grateful for their willingness to step up and take on complex legal issues, using their expertise and empathy to make an impact on someone’s life. Their persistence and follow-through on client matters is what makes them dedicated leaders in pro bono.”