PRESS RELEASE
City Bar Justice Center to Honor Deloitte and Kramer Levin with 2022 City Bar Justice Awards for Pro Bono Service to Veterans
New York, March 30, 2022 – The City Bar Justice Center’s (Justice Center) 17th Annual Gala, “Serving Those Who Serve,” will be held on April 6, 2022 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at the New York City Bar Association. Deloitte and Kramer Levin will receive the 2022 City Bar Justice Awards for their extraordinary pro bono leadership and commitment to public service.
The Justice Center’s 2022 hybrid gala will champion the work of its Veterans Assistance Project, including Deloitte’s and Kramer Levin’s impactful contributions to the project, and honor the service of our veteran neighbors. The gala will feature live performances immersing guests into a world where movement, music and art come to life in celebration of pro bono legal services. New York City Bar Association President Sheila S. Boston and City Bar Justice Center Executive Director Kurt M. Denk will provide remarks, and Ms. Boston will present awards to the honorees.
Deloitte US has a long history of commitment to communities where it operates – including more than one million hours of pro bono services to nonprofits. From their annual day of service to virtual mentoring to supporting front line organizations that help people recover and thrive, Deloitte US professionals volunteer more than 158,000 hours every year, leveraging their staff’s skills and experience to help nonprofits tackle pressing challenges. Further, through its Foundation, the organization has contributed significantly over the past decade to support the education and development of the next generation of diverse business leaders.
Kramer Levin has a longstanding history of pro bono service, and its attorneys’ passions have fostered broad involvement in areas such as asylum, LGBTQ+ rights, domestic violence, housing and homelessness, criminal trials and appeals, service to nonprofit groups and microentrepreneurs, and more. Closely aligned with its commitment to pro bono and community service, the firm’s Racial Justice Initiative is also among Kramer Levin’s most important programs. Inspired by its Diversity Committee and affinity groups and led by the Pro Bono Committee, the initiative encourages Kramer Levin lawyers and staff to pursue pro bono work focused on assisting communities adversely impacted by racism, including in the areas of voting rights, housing, civil rights and racial discrimination. More than 150 volunteer staff and lawyers are engaged in a variety of related projects.
Deloitte and Kramer Levin most recently partnered with the Justice Center’s Veterans Assistance Project (VAP), which serves a client base overwhelmingly composed of New Yorkers of color who face a range of systemic inequities in addition to the service-connected disabilities that lead them to seek pro bono legal assistance. The Deloitte/Kramer Levin/VAP partnership has provided veterans living at or below the poverty line in New York City with high-quality, free legal assistance pursuing claims for disability benefits, all with an aim of helping veterans attain essential medical care and greater financial stability.
“Especially relevant given the world scene, our gala theme – Serving Those Who Serve – honors the sacrifice and dedication of individuals who have served, and often continue to serve, our community, nation and others across the world,” said City Bar Justice Center Executive Director Kurt M. Denk. “We are proud to celebrate the work of Deloitte and Kramer Levin for so generously providing veterans with critical legal assistance of the highest quality and for supporting our clients as they navigate complex systems to access the vital care they need and deserve.”
About the City Bar Justice Center
The City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, increases access to justice by leveraging the resources of New York’s legal community. The Justice Center operates the largest civil legal hotline in New York and provides direct legal representation, community education and advocacy benefiting over 24,000 New Yorkers each year in areas including cancer advocacy, consumer debt, elder law, homelessness and housing, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, microentrepreneurship, planning & estates, pro se assistance, and veterans assistance. www.citybarjusticecenter.org
About Deloitte
Deloitte is one of the world’s leading professional services firms, making an impact that matters every day. Building on more than 175 years of service, their network of member firms spans over 150 countries and territories. Together, Deloitte’s more than 330,000 people worldwide — help clients realize their ambitions, to make a positive difference in society, and to maximize the success of its people. This drive fuels the connection to service that runs deep in their firm. www2.deloitte.com
About Kramer Levin
Kramer Levin provides proactive, creative and pragmatic solutions that address today’s most challenging legal issues. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., and Paris and fosters a strong culture of involvement in public and community service. www.kramerlevin.com