Lawyers Make 'Thanksgiving Honor Roll'
As it has done for more than 40 years, the Village Voice picks a NYC honor roll each Thanksgiving to pay homage to those who work in the trenches, going about the “tough, everyday work of remedying inequality” and honoring “those who have stood tall against abuses of power.”
This year, there are a few lawyers on the honor roll. (In the comments section, tell us which lawyers would make the honor roll in your neck of the woods.)
The Village Voice notes that eight years before Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law, another young African-American, James O’Neal, took his newly minted J.D. to Harlem, where he founded Legal Outreach, a program that helps high school students learn about the law while preparing for college. The program reportedly has a 100 percent graduation rate, with 14 percent of the students going on to law school.
Another J.D. on the honor roll is Andy Scherer, who spent 30 years at Legal Services of New York and executive director since 2001.
Finally, to close out the list of impressive do-gooders, is Norman Siegel, described by the publication as a veteran anti-poverty and civil rights lawyer who “has long been the city’s steadiest defender of civil liberties and an innovative advocate for the powerless.”
These are the folks that the Village Voice says New Yorkers should be thankful for. Who’s on your list?
