The City Bar Justice Center Celebrates Recipients of its 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award

Pictured above are the 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award winners, with Co-chair of the City Bar Justice Center’s Pro Bono Leadership Council Keun Young Bae (standing, first from left), City Bar Justice Center Director of Pro Bono Initiatives Cassandra Celestin (standing, second from left), Keynote Speaker Chief Magistrate Judge Bloom (standing, fourth from left), and New York City Bar Association President Muhammad U. Faridi (seated, third from right). 

In observance of the American Bar Association’s National Celebration of Pro Bono, the City Bar Justice Center held its 2024 Celebrate Pro Bono Awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 22. Each year, the Justice Center recognizes pro bono volunteers from our dozen civil justice projects who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to our clients and embody our team’s mission to advance access to justice. This year, nine volunteers were nominated to receive the 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award: 

 Alex (Lenny) Leonard, Assistant General Counsel with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York 

Christina T. Holder, Public Interest Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler LLP  

Debra L. Raskin, Partner Emerita at Vladeck, Raskin & Clark P.C.  

Emily Wexler, Pro Bono Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP  

Emma K. Pletenycky, Associate at Day Pitney LLP  

Jordan E. Elkin, Associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP  

Nicole Fadel, Practice Assistant at Kirkland & Ellis LLP  

Sara Thompson, Managing Director & Counsel at Mizuho Americas  

Timothy C. Nash, Jr., Assistant General Counsel at Federal Reserve Bank of New York 

Cassandra Celestin, the City Bar Justice Center’s Director of Pro Bono Initiatives, and Muhammad U. Faridi, President of the New York City Bar Association, offered opening remarks, and Chief Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom delivered the event’s keynote address. Keun Young Bae, Co-chair of our Pro Bono Leadership Council, presented awards and closing remarks were given by Kurt M. Denk, the Justice Center’s Executive Director. 

Ms. Celestin opened the ceremony with a reminder that while the purpose of the ceremony is to celebrate the commitment of our volunteers, we should “not forget the lived experiences of those behind each nomination that remind us that pro bono work is really a necessity as well as an ongoing responsibility in the legal profession.”  

Chief Magistrate Judge Bloom’s keynote remarks not only affirmed the deep social impact pro bono work has on clients, but also on volunteers: “Pro bono work is a real eye opener, and it is humbling to help a client who despite facing real difficulty and adversity exudes dignity and is filled with gratitude. Helping people is inspirational, it is meaningful [and it allows us] to be part of something bigger than ourselves.” 

Thank you to everyone who attended, including friends, family, and colleagues for making the awards ceremony an uplifting and meaningful evening. To our 2024 award recipients, a heartfelt congratulations!