This award is given to a member of the Young Lawyer Section of the MSBA who is making a significant pro bono contribution either directly or through a pro bono organization.

Meagan Allen, Esq. was identified as this year's Alex Fee YLS Memorial recipient.

Meagan represented 22 low-income clients through Community Legal Services of PG County Judicare program in her first year of volunteering. She also volunteers through the Montgomery County Bar Foundation, is an MSBA Leadership Academy Fellow, and has become a stalwart volunteer at CLS’s Self-Represented Litigants Clinic at the Prince George's County Circuit Courthouse. Finally, Meagan promotes volunteerism by bringing additional lawyers to CLS.  

This award is geared toward a solo or small firm practitioner who has rendered pro bono service over many years.

This year's recipient of the Lee A. Caplan Award is Lawrence Finegan, Esq.

Larry Finegan is a quiet champion for pro bono work. He never advertises what he does behind the scenes. He has been silently doing pro bono work for more than 35 years. Unlike other lawyers that announce when they come before the court that they are representing someone pro bono, Larry never does that. He does not want a litigant thinking they are somehow less because they cannot afford their representation.

Larry is a reliable member and co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee in Frederick County and a volunteer mediator for the District Court of Maryland. Individuals who come before the District Court often have little command of what it takes to prosecute their claim or defend against a claim. Larry regularly volunteers his time, mediating those cases at no cost in the District Court.

This award is geared toward a solo or small firm practitioner who has rendered pro bono service over many years.

This year's recipient of the Lee A. Caplan Award is Rue Stewart, Esq.

Rue Stewart has been a volunteer attorney for MVLS for 14 years and has represented 67 contested family law clients over the course of his tenure. While a solo practitioner, he has donated over 2,082 hours of pro bono time. He was provided outstanding representation to lower income families facing significant emotional and financial challenges.  

This award is presented to an individual who has distinguished her/himself as an exemplar of pro bono service, going above and beyond the average pro bono commitment for at least 5 years.

The recipient of this year's Judge Robert M. Bell Award is Nina Crist, Esq.

Nina Crist has been a volunteer with Mid-Shore Pro Bono (MSPB) since August 2015 and has provided 8,698 hours of pro bono work. She provides approximately 5 hours of legal consultations to MSPB family law clients per week through virtual consultations which enables her to assist clients in over 5 counties of the Eastern Shore. She also handles Judicare cases and played a pivotal role in assisting families impacted by the opioid epidemic. 

This award is presented to an individual who has distinguished themself as an exemplar of pro bono service, going above and beyond the average pro bono commitment ether over a period of time or through extended service in a complex matter or case.

Conor O'Croinin, Esq. of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP is receiving the Distinguished Pro Bono Volunteer Award.

Conor recently delivered a $186,000 award for two pro bono clients following a lawsuit against the Baltimore City Mayor, City Council of Baltimore, and clients’ former landlord for unlawful removal of the tenants’ possessions which has had a far-reaching impact on tenants throughout the community. The ruling means tenants who lose their possessions during an eviction will be able to bring legal action and move forward with claims for related damages against the City. The City recently appealed the decision and Conor plans on assisting with the appeal. 

This award is presented to an individual who is making a significant pro bono contribution while retired.

The recipient of this year's Retired Pro Bono Volunteer Award is Doris Green Walker, Esq.

Over the span of 26 years, Doris has represented 115 MVLS clients in an array of civil cases, dedicating over 1,370 hours. Doris has taken bankruptcy, debt collection defense, tax controversy, landlord/tenant, foreclosure, estate planning, expungement, and nonprofit legal assistance cases but excels in family law matters. If MVLS struggled to find a volunteer to help someone in time, even with her workload already overflowing with other pro bono cases, the Glen Burnie attorney would often respond with “let me see what I can do.”  It is estimated that Doris has donated over $546,000 worth of legal service. 

This award is presented to a judge who has contributed to the overall pro bono effort by encouraging participation among lawyers or increasing access to the judicial system for legal services for low-income clients.

Cristine Evans LoVetro, LLC, is the recipient of this year's Law Firm Award.

As President of the Frederick County Bar Association in 2021, Cristine Evans LoVetro initiated a program to bring representatives from non-profit legal services providers to the local pro bono committee. This led to the placement of dozens of cases. She personally takes cases from MLA and other legal services providers on a regular basis, volunteers at the LGBTQ+ legal clinic and coordinates Law Day for Seniors among a multitude of other volunteer roles. PBRC is pleased to honor Cristine for her firm’s steadfast commitment to access to legal services.   

This award is presented to an individual, group, firm, or ad hoc group that has initiated a special project that enhances the delivery of legal services for low-income persons.

The recipient of this year's Herbert S. Garten Special Project Award is The Office of Economic Development and Community Partnership at Johns Hopkins University. 

The Office of Economic Development and Community Partnership at JHU has been instrumental in creating initiatives in partnership with Maryland Legal Aid and community partners to provide criminal record expungement and other wraparound services to some of Baltimore's most impacted communities. Initiated under Alicia Wilson’s leadership, the program engaged volunteer lawyers to empower 493 clients by providing free expungement services and generating 1,543 petitions for expungement. Arnetta Shelton, Senior Manager for Community Initiatives & Strategies has continued that legacy. 

This award recognizes organizations providing non-legal services which have made a substantial contribution toward the delivery of pro bono legal services to low-income clients.

Gavi Franco is this year's recipient of the Non-Legal or Organizational Involvement Award.

Gavi has been described as an amazing volunteer who has shown a deep commitment to both advocating for tenants' rights and to PBRC's Tenant Volunteer Lawyer of the Day Project. She has volunteered consistently at the TVLD clinic, serving as an interpreter. Gavi attended close to 10 clinics from October 2022 - February 2023, logging around 30 plus hours of pro bono clinic work.

Gavi not only bridges the language gap with her translation skills, but her experience as an attorney in Mexico elevates her pro bono service. Gavi is able to explain what will occur during a court hearing and the details of the legal process. With Gavi's help, the CAP team is better able to serve our Spanish-speaking clients while in court.

This category includes all pro bono provider programs, legal services programs with pro bono components, and groups coordinated to deliver pro bono legal services to indigent clients.

This year's recipient is the Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Family Separation Response Team. 

Since 2018, KIND’s Response Team (FSRT) has addressed the profound crisis caused by the Trump Administration forcibly separating children from their parents before, during, and after the Zero Tolerance Policy. FSRT has helped over 1500 individuals nationally affected by family separation since 2017. In Maryland, FSRT has handled or continues to handle 49 cases either through direct representation or mentoring pro bono attorneys in the Maryland Circuit Courts, Baltimore Immigration Court, USCIS, and the Asylum Office located in Arlington.