PRO BONO AWARDS CEREMONY

Commitment To Justice Awards

Honoring the people and organizations whose partnership helps make justice possible

Explore highlights from this year’s celebration — check back in July for information on our 2027 event!

A community of champions

Justice is never the work of one person alone.

Our Commitment To Justice Awards celebrate those whose partnership, leadership, and generosity strengthen Her Justice and help women and families across New York move forward.

Whether representing clients in court, sharing expertise, investing in our mission, or opening doors to new opportunities, our partners each play a vital role.

Together, they make justice more accessible for the people we serve.

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The awards

Each award recognizes individuals and institutions that have shown noteworthy dedication to Her Justice’s mission.

01 / 07

Above and Beyond Award

This award is given to institutions and individuals who make remarkable contributions to help Her Justice achieve its organizational goals. It honors those who show up in memorable ways to support Her Justice’s mission in the many shapes that it takes.

Individual honoree

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Jennifer D. Cieluch

Alston & Bird LLP

“

Working with Her Justice over the past decade has been deeply meaningful and has given me the opportunity to support some of the most deserving clients. I am grateful to use my legal skills to help these remarkably strong women navigate a frustratingly complex legal system and ensure their stories are heard.

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My experience with Her Justice has also had a profound impact on my own life. Seeing clients gain confidence and empowerment through our work, alongside witnessing the growth of the junior attorneys I have mentored, has been equally inspiring. Her Justice has strengthened my confidence in the positive difference I can make, sharpened my focus on what matters most, and challenged me to become a more effective advocate. It is a powerful reminder that, as attorneys, we can use our skills to improve lives and fight the good fight.

Jennifer D. Cieluch
Alston & Bird LLP

Group honoree · 19 team members

Alston & Bird LLP

“

Alston & Bird is so grateful for our relationship with Her Justice and for the chance to achieve such a surprisingly good result for our common client. Her situation was so dire and her legal and factual problems so complex that it took not just a village but an army to solve and resolve them.

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Everyone on the Alston & Bird team showed commitment, fortitude and courage in the face of the litigiousness and at times physically threats presented by our client’s adversary, which went far beyond the challenges that big-law lawyers and staff usually assume when they sign up for a pro bono matter. The most fortitude and courage came from Ashlyn Stone, who drove the representation and defended her client with a profound level of strength and zealousness until the end. This extreme case proves the existential need for Her Justice to provide and facilitate legal services to women in New York who deserve the assistance and protection of the legal system.

The Alston & Bird team
Alston & Bird LLP

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Anna Alpern

Alston & Bird LLP

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Meera Basavappa

Alston & Bird LLP

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Alberto Bufalino

Alston & Bird LLP

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Steven R. Campbell

Alston & Bird LLP

Jennifer D. Cieluch

Alston & Bird LLP

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Amelia D. Cotins

Alston & Bird LLP

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Boran Ding

Alston & Bird LLP

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Robyn Downing

Alston & Bird LLP

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Karl Geercken

Alston & Bird LLP

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Navya Gupta

Alston & Bird LLP

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Kiran Kapoor

Alston & Bird LLP

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Matthew W. Mamak

Alston & Bird LLP

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Lucy Martin

Alston & Bird LLP

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Scott M. O’Brien

Alston & Bird LLP

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Ashlyn Stone

Alston & Bird LLP

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David Venderbush

Alston & Bird LLP

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Taylor C. Veracka

Alston & Bird LLP

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Jade Weiner

Alston & Bird LLP

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Phoebe Yusen

Alston & Bird LLP

02 / 07

Firm Partnership Award

This award is given to institutions who have collaborated with Her Justice to deliver on the promise of pro bono — which is that by matching the private sector’s exceptional skills and resources with Her Justice’s expertise in the civil justice system, we can tilt the system’s power towards those who need its solutions.

Organization honoree

“

Working with Her Justice is a privilege. Every month, we speak with its senior staff about the challenges their clients face, the support Her Justice provides, and the policy changes it advocates for. The conversations are as inspiring as they are educational. We have been honored to help amplify their important work, research, and policy proposals with the media.
Andrew Longstreth, Charlotte Bennett & Frances Hubbard
Infinite Global

03 / 07

John K. Geiger Award

In memory of John K. Geiger

This award is presented in memory of John Geiger who volunteered for Her Justice for many years, first as a paralegal, then as an attorney. John not only demonstrated an unyielding compassion and dedication toward his clients; he also brought his enthusiasm for this work to everyone he encountered, especially other attorneys at his firm, urging them to become involved with Her Justice.

Individual honoree

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Peter C. Y. Kim

King & Spalding LLP

“

Her Justice demonstrates the extraordinary difference that access to legal support can make. Working with Her Justice has reinforced a simple but powerful lesson: what may seem like a small contribution can have a lasting impact on someone navigating a difficult moment. The experience has been a constant reminder of the importance of showing up for others when they need support. I am honored to support Her Justice’s mission and deeply humbled by this recognition.
Peter C. Y. Kim
King & Spalding LLP

04 / 07

John Wright Award

In memory of John Wright

This award honors the late John Wright and his tremendous impact as a policy leader dedicated to improving the systems that shape our communities. His leadership in government relations centered marginalized voices in New York City and State policymaking, ensuring that everyone had a seat at the table. This award is given to partners with a commitment to achieving a more equitable and empowering civil justice system that reflects John’s drive to create system reform informed by those impacted most.

Individual honoree

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Assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal

New York State Assembly

“

Her Justice is an exemplary legal force for women living in poverty throughout New York City. The Her Justice team’s tenacious spirit and dedication to helping individuals navigate a complex civil justice system is deeply inspiring and has helped ensure the safety and dignity of countless women and children.

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Having sponsored many laws to protect domestic violence survivors in New York State, I have seen Her Justice in action in the halls of Albany, fighting for funding and policies to protect women and their families from harm. Her Justice’s support was invaluable in passing into law the measure I sponsored that addresses coerced debts. I commend the many attorneys and staff affiliated with Her Justice for having transformed the lives of more people than they will ever know. I look forward to our continued partnership in working to change our laws to better protect those in crisis.

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal
New York State Assembly

05 / 07

Legal Team Award

This award is given to teams of pro bono attorneys who work together as an impressive unit – determined, coordinated, and ahead of the curve – to deliver wins for their clients.

Immigration

King & Spalding LLP

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Ana V. B. Daily

King & Spalding LLP

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Nicole M. Pereira

King & Spalding LLP

“

Working with Her Justice has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our careers. We saw firsthand how dedicated legal advocacy can transform a client’s life — giving her the tools and support to secure a more stable future for herself and her family.

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Her Justice connects attorneys with clients whose resilience and courage inspire us to bring our very best, and the organization’s guidance allows us to leverage our legal skills to achieve meaningful results even in complex cases. The collaboration between attorneys and clients through Her Justice is a powerful reminder that access to justice is not a privilege but a right, and we are honored to play a part in advancing that mission.

Ana V. B. Daily & Nicole M. Pereira
King & Spalding LLP

Immigration

Sidley Austin LLP

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Juan A.
Arteaga

Sidley Austin LLP

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Adriana Bones Ortega

Sidley Austin LLP

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Thomas M. Cramer

Sidley Austin LLP

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Martha O’Brien Tabor

Sidley Austin LLP

“

For over 30 years, Her Justice has given hope and a voice to many of New York City’s most vulnerable residents. This has included providing lifechanging assistance to immigrants such as our client: a survivor of sexual and domestic violence who took the dangerous trip across Central America as a teenager in pursuit of the American Dream and who has worked tirelessly to provide her U.S. born children the opportunities denied to her in her native country.

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Our Sidley team has proudly worked with Her Justice’s talented lawyers to help vindicate our client’s rights and keep her family together, including successfully challenging a $1.8 million fee that improperly sought to force our client to self-deport while her meritorious asylum petition is pending. Our client’s case shows that the need for Her Justice’s immigration legal services has never been greater and more impactful.

Juan A. Arteaga, Adriana Bones Ortega, Thomas M. Cramer & Martha O’Brien Tabor
Sidley Austin LLP

Family & Matrimonial

Milbank LLP

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Peter Brigham

Milbank LLP

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James Dorian

Milbank LLP

“

Our team was grateful for the opportunity to partner with Her Justice to represent our client in connection with a family law matter. Her Justice made it possible for our client to benefit from legal counsel while navigating a daunting legal process.

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The expertise of the Her Justice team was invaluable to us—their guidance and collaboration made it possible to manage unexpected challenges when they arose and ultimately achieve a favorable outcome for our client. Her Justice provides a vital service for its clients, and we are pleased that we could play a small part in advancing that mission.

Peter Brigham & James Dorian
Milbank LLP

06 / 07

Pro Bono All-Star Award

This award is given to individuals whose dedication to their clients reaches beyond the scope of their pro bono role and whose exceptional commitment to their clients embodies Her Justice’s values and makes our community what it is.

Individual honorees

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Rita Celebrezze D’Souza

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Natali
Rey

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

“

It is our privilege to partner with Her Justice and help provide legal services to women facing poverty across New York City. Her Justice is not simply providing legal representation — it is restoring dignity and safety to the lives of the women it serves and their children, and empowering them to shape their own futures.

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This work is invaluable and supporting it is one of the most meaningful ways we can use our knowledge, skills and resources as attorneys. Working with Her Justice has not only provided us with countless learning opportunities but has allowed us to form genuine connections with our clients and their families, and to support them through some of life’s most difficult moments and sweetest victories. We are grateful to take part in Her Justice’s mission and look forward to many more years of continued partnership and success.

Rita Celebrezze D’Souza & Natali Rey
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

07 / 07

Pro Bono Counsel Award

This award recognizes individuals whose commitment to pro bono service strengthens their firm’s partnership with Her Justice and expands access to justice for women across New York City. By supporting volunteer attorneys and helping cases move forward with care and coordination, they play an essential role in ensuring more clients across New York City have the power of a lawyer by their side as they write their next chapter.

Individual honoree

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Laura Israel Sinrod

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

“

From my first uncontested divorce case as a summer associate, I knew that, in Her Justice, I had found an organization that would allow me to do the type of pro bono work that means the most to me: supporting families.

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So much of my professional growth can be traced back to my year-long fellowship at Her Justice as a midlevel associate, when I had the opportunity to work with pro bono clients on a full time basis and then return to the firm to supervise new volunteers. From volunteer to junior board member to staff attorney, and now to case supervisor back at the Firm where it all began, it has been exciting to watch Her Justice evolve to continue to meet the needs of so many women in poverty in New York City.

Laura Israel Sinrod
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Together in celebration

View photos from this year’s event

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Ready to join our pro bono network?

Her Justice wants to hear from you! Explore the ways you can join our growing community of volunteer lawyers.

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