Court Square Law Project, a pilot initiative of the NYC Bar Association and CUNY Law, has been named the 2019 recipient of the American Bar Association Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access
The Brown Award recognizes programs and projects that enable affordable access to legal services in ways that are exemplary and replicable for those of moderate incomes and this is the second time in less than a decade that a CUNY Law initiative has received the award; in 2010 our CLRN alumni program was honored.
Cynthia Domingo-Forasté, the executive director of Court Square, accepted the Brown Award on behalf of the project at a ceremony on January 25, 2019 during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“People who make moderate incomes face a justice gap. They don’t qualify for legal aid, yet can’t afford private practice attorneys,” said Domingo-Forasté. “That leaves many people representing themselves and losing in court because they don’t have the knowledge or skills to win their cases. We created this firm to ensure that everyone can have access to the fundamental legal services they need.”
The Court Square Law Project is a pilot program founded in 2016 by the City Bar and CUNY Law with support from 19 leading law firms across New York City. It was developed as an innovative response to several challenges identified by the City Bar’s Task Force on New Lawyers in a Changing Profession. Court Square’s mission is to create a self-sustaining law firm that provides client-centered, affordable, sliding-scale legal services. The project prepares new lawyers with the skills, tools, and resources needed to expand access to sustainable, mission-driven legal practices aimed at closing the justice gap for moderate-income clients.
In over just two years of operation, the Court Square Law Project has helped more than 574 clients, employed 23 fellows, and fielded inquiries from law schools and firms nationwide with interest in learning from its model.
Read the full press release at the link below.