news release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 12, 2007

CONTACT:
James Carroll
(202) 466-3686 ext. 102 		jcarroll@equaljusticeworks.org
www.equaljusticeworks.org
EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS NAMES 2007 PUBLIC INTEREST LAW LEADERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Microsoft Senior Vice President and General Counsel Brad Smith was one of five individuals named this year for extraordinary contributions to the field of public interest law by Equal Justice Works, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization.

Mr. Smith was awarded the Scales of Justice Award for his personal commitment to pro bono work and Microsoft's advocacy for immigration reform and its support of the Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice Project, a partnership with law firms and the American Bar Association. Mr. Smith is also an active supporter of the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge, a partnership of the Pro Bono Institute and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

The other four honorees are:
  • Karen Rothenberg, Dean and Marjorie Cook Professor of Law at the University of Maryland School of Law, received the John R. Kramer Law School Dean Award for shaping one of the most highly regarded clinical law programs in the nation and promoting a culture of public service at her school.
  • Ilene Seidman, Clinical Professor of Law, Suffolk University Law School, received the Outstanding Law School Faculty Award for her support for public interest law opportunities at her school and among individual students.
  • Gavan Meehan, University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2007, received the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Exemplary Public Service Award for creating and engaging fellow students in public service programs.
  • Reena Arora, New York University School of Law, Class of 2008, also received the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Exemplary Public Service Award for her role in establishing the Detainee Working Group, an organization of student volunteers who monitor immigration court proceedings.
Each year Equal Justice Works solicits nominations from academia and the public and private sectors for individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in public interest law and commitment to social justice. Honorees are selected and awards are presented at the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair and at an Awards Dinner gala each October in Washington.

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Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1986 by law students dedicated to working for equal justice on behalf of underserved communities and causes. Today, Equal Justice Works is the national leader in creating summer and postgraduate public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers as well as in urging more public interest programming at law schools. For more information, visit www.equaljusticeworks.org.
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