“Philadelphia’s Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, Maryland’s Joseph Greenwald & Laake, and Phoenix’ Snell & Wilmer LLP to receive honors at NLADA Exemplar Award Dinner”
WASHINGTON, DC, May 27 – In honor of their extraordinary commitment to providing pro bono legal representation to low-income families facing foreclosure proceedings, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is pleased to award Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin; Joseph Greenwald & Laake; and Snell & Wilmer LLP with the 2009 Beacon of Justice Award. The award will be presented at the NLADA Exemplar Award Dinner on June 3 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC.
As Americans struggle through the worst economic crisis since the great depression, millions of low-income homeowners have been left to navigate the maze of foreclosure proceedings alone. But, thanks to the hard work and dedication of these three law firms, a significant number of homeowners have been able to find help in keeping saving their homes.
In July of 2008, the Maryland law firm of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake announced its Thousand Hours Project, which would serve as a pro bono assistance program for Maryland homeowners facing foreclosure. Since that time, the firm has logged hundreds of pro bono hours for clients and has participated in workshops throughout the state, which seek to provide homeowners with advice and direction when dealing with foreclosure.
The Philadelphia law firm of Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin was one of the first supporters of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program’s Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Effort. The program acts to train and recruit attorneys to provide pro bono representation to homeowners facing foreclosure. And, finally, Snell and Wilmer’s interest in assisting homeowners is not an action brought about by the current economic crisis, but a continuation of the work they have done for years in providing pro bono assistance. In their work they have been especially successful in securing the rights of homeowners would have been forced into foreclosure proceedings because of equity skimming and other unscrupulous predatory business practices.
“We find ourselves at a critical turning point in history. Millions of people across the country are facing unyielding pressures because of the economic crisis. People with less than adequate means are losing their jobs, health insurance and, often the most devastating loss of all, their homes,” said NLADA President & CEO Jo-Ann Wallace “When a family loses its home, their foundation in our communities is fractured. We are honored and humbled to award the 2009 Beacon of Justice Award to three law firms that saw a need on behalf of people in their communities and sought to fill it. These firms, Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, Joseph Greenwald & Laake, and Snell & Wilmer LLP, have together provided nearly 8,000 hours of pro bono time to homeowners across the nation who were facing foreclosure proceedings.”
For more information on the 2009 Beacon of Justice Award, contact Tiffany Payne, director of development, at (202) 452-0620, ext. 232, or via e-mail at t.payne@nlada.org.
Contact:
Jeff Billington
(202) 452-0620, ext. 230
