Each year, the North Carolina Bar Association recognizes members or sections of the Bar through the ProBono Awards.
This year, at its June 19th meeting, the North Carolina Bar Association honored the Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section with the Chief Justice Award. This award recognizes a local, district or statewide bar organization whose members have performed outstanding legal services or have given outstanding support and assistance or maintenance of such programs for low income people.
The Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section has demonstrated its commitment to pro bono and the service of those in need continuously for more than 16 years.
In the August 2015 issue of NC Lawyer, Poyner Spruill attorney and Section Chair, Craig Dalton said, “Last year I was contacted by the North Carolina Department of Administration for assistance in implementing a settlement to be paid by the State of North Carolina to the surviving victims of the North Carolina Eugenics Program. Members of the Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law section, along with members of the Elder & Special Needs Law Section, decided to take on the challenge of providing pro bono legal services to this unfortunate segment of our population. A team of lawyers was organized to provide such legal services to the victims in the fall of 2014. We will be offering the same services again as additional settlement payments are made.”
“I was glad to organize this volunteer program, and we made this commitment to provide pro bono services to our fellow citizens in an attempt to help right a wrong from the past. Those of us who participated were proud to be able to use our knowledge and skills as attorneys to help the victims, who, in most cases, were not equipped to deal with the varied issues surrounding their receipt of compensation. I am pleased to accept the Chief Justice Award in recognition of the services by the many volunteers.”
