Legal Aid of North Carolina is marking the start of the National Celebration of Pro Bono, held annually throughout the last week of October, by announcing this year’s winners of our Pro Bono Hero Awards.
Launched in 2023, the awards recognize remarkable pro bono service on behalf of our clients and law firm — service that we hope serves as an inspiring example to the NC legal community. The awards also celebrate the diversity of the forms of pro bono service from which our clients and organization benefit, and the diversity of the volunteers themselves.
Allison Constance, Director of Pro Bono Programs for Legal Aid NC, said, “This year’s slate of honorees shows just how varied in form — but equal in impact — pro bono service can be.
“Whether it’s serving numerous clients in a single year or serving a single client for numerous years, helping us launch a new program or dedicating oneself to an existing one, serving our clients or serving our firm as a client, all of this year’s honorees are vital partners on our mission to provide equal justice for North Carolinians in need.”
Honeywell
We honor Honeywell for demonstrating remarkable commitment to our housing and domestic violence clients, especially through the service of Dawn Savarese and Kris Pickler, who have gone above and beyond on behalf of our clients and our firm. Learn more about Honeywell from Larissa Mañón Mervin, Regional Managing Attorney for our southern piedmont region, and Hannah Guerrier, our Charlotte Community Engagement Manager.
Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.
We honor Robinson Bradshaw for its long record of pro bono service to our firm and clients, including this summer’s launch of our Summer Associate Pro Bono Program. Special thanks to Blaine Sanders, Julian Wright and John Wester for their leadership and support. Learn more about Robinson Bradshaw from Allison Constance, our Director of Pro Bono Programs.
Sneed & Stearns, P.A.
We honor Sneed & Stearns for its remarkable dedication to our clients and firm in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. Immediately following the storm, partner Anna Stearns and her team immediately opened their doors to us, providing information, advice, and representation to Legal Aid NC clients and even training their staff to conduct client intake. Learn more about Sneed & Stearns from Allison Constance, our Director of Pro Bono Programs.
Aishah Reed Foster
We honor Aishaah Reed Foster of Moore & Van Allen for showing remarkable dedication to our domestic violence clients both in Charlotte and via remote service to clients in Western North Carolina. Learn more about Aishaah from Larissa Mañón Mervin, Regional Managing Attorney for our southern piedmont region.
Amily McCool
We honor Amily McCool, owner and sole practitioner of the Scharff Law Firm in Raleigh, for her extraordinary, successful and yearslong representation of a client of our Fair Housing Project, and for her and consistent willingness to help with a variety of pro bono matters. Learn more about Amily and her remarkable dedication in this case from Kelly Clarke, Director of our Fair Housing Project.
Brad Banias
We honor Brad Banias of Banias Law, LLC, for rendering remarkable pro bono service to clients of our Immigration Pathways for Victims (IMMPAV) unit in recent years. Learn more about Brad from Anna Cushman, supervising attorney with IMMPAV.
David Lindsay
We honor David C. Lindsay of K&L Gates LLP for providing pro bono legal services on employment issues to Legal Aid of North Carolina for more than 20 years. Learn more about David from Celia Pistolis, our Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.
Jon Powell
We honor Jon Powell, Director of the Restorative Justice Clinic at Campbell Law, for always being ready, willing and able to help and inspire our Right to Education Project. Learn more about Jon from Hetali Lodaya, attorney with our Right to Education Project.
Peter Robinson
We honor Peter Robinson, a Raleigh-based international criminal trial lawyer, who goes above and beyond to serve our expunction clients, with a particular emphasis on serving clients in legal deserts. Learn more about Peter from Emily Mistr, the Director of our Second Chance Project.