New York Legal Assistance Group Celebrates Legal Partners at 2025 Pro Bono Awards

NEW YORK - Last week, the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) celebrated Pro Bono Week with its annual Pro Bono Awards celebration, highlighting the critical work its pro bono and volunteer partners make possible in furthering NYLAG's reach.

NYLAG presented the following awards:

• Champion of Justice Award: Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
• Legacy Award: Todd Schrager, NYLAG Pro Bono and Volunteer Department
• Hero of Justice Award: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
• Spirit of Hope Award: DLA Piper
• Spirit of Service Award: Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
• Partners in Justice Award for Corporate Legal Service: FanDuel

"NYLAG's pro bono and volunteer partnerships critically expand our reach and give us the ability to show up alongside New Yorkers to be the legal advocates they deserve-no matter the urgency, no matter the scale," said Lisa Rivera, NYLAG President & CEO. "We are so grateful for the skill, expertise, resources and time that our partners have given to NYLAG and our clients, even in the face of the unprecedented adversity and challenges that have rocked out industry, our city and our nation. We couldn't do all that we do to support our mission to combat economic, racial and social injustice without our partners' commitment and perseverance."

In Fiscal Year 2025, more than 2,000 attorneys and volunteers contributed over 74,000 hours of pro bono and volunteer work to our organization.

This year, those hours of pro bono work and partnership helped ensure that new Yorkers who use Medicaid-funded in-home care services retained their care, that cancer patients gained access to critical advance planning resources, that immigrant New Yorkers understood their rights while pursuing asylum claims amid increasing federal aggression, and that public school students with disabilities and their families received improved access to special education services and accommodations.

"At NYLAG, we pride ourselves on being nimble, responsive and unwavering in our commitment to justice. Every day, our attorneys step up to meet urgent needs-but we can't meet the need alone," said Amira Samuel, Director of NYLAG's Pro Bono and Volunteer Unit. "Our pro bono community is the reason we can keep saying, 'Yes, we can help.' Because of our partners, more New Yorkers have safety, stability and hope."

"We were very proud to partner with the New York Legal Assistance Group to secure a class action settlement on behalf of Medicaid recipients who were at risk of losing access to critical in-home care services," said Lisa E. Cleary, Partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. "This important victory was achieved as a result of NYLAG's exemplary service to marginalized New Yorkers and Patterson Belknap's dedication to its pro bono clients. We are honored to be recognized with NYLAG's Champion of Justice Award."

"I'm honored to receive the Legacy Award," said Todd Schrager, a valued member of NYLAG's Pro Bono and Volunteer Department. "I've been lucky to work at NYLAG, alongside people who live its mission every day-helping those in need with skill, compassion and resolve."

"Orrick is proud to partner with NYLAG in its mission to expand access to justice and support the most vulnerable members of our community," said Jill Rosenberg, Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. "We've been privileged to work with NYLAG over the years in the areas of-among others-immigration law, family law and LGBTQ+ rights, and our impact is possible only through the support of the talented attorneys we collaborate with in our fight for access to justice for every low-income person. We're honored to receive this year's Hero of Justice Award in recognition of our shared commitment to that work."

"Since 2007, DLA Piper and NYLAG have collaborated on some of the most pressing issues facing low-income New Yorkers," said Rich Gruenberger, Counsel and Director of Pro Bono Programs for DLA Piper. "Thanks to NYLAG, we have been able to greatly expand our delivery of pro bono assistance to those seeking equal access to justice. We are grateful to be honored with this year's Spirit of Hope Award."

"Fried Frank is proud to partner with NYLAG in their life-changing efforts to empower and uplift our most vulnerable neighbors through legal advocacy," said Laura Israel Sinrod, Pro Bono Special Counsel for Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. "Fried Frank is honored to receive the Spirit of Service Award, a testament to our shared commitment to creating meaningful change. Pro bono service is a cornerstone of our firm's culture and reflects our belief that high quality, compassionate legal services should be available to everyone, regardless of their means."

"The FanDuel Legal & Compliance Team is deeply committed to using our skills and resources to serve the broader community through pro bono work," said Tahnee Baker, Senior Employment Counsel for FanDuel. "We believe that access to justice shouldn't depend on income or circumstance, and we've built a culture that reflects that belief. Our pro bono partnerships with organizations like NYLAG have become a source of pride and purpose for our team, reinforcing the idea that our work can extend far beyond our day-to-day work at FanDuel."

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