For more than 50 years, Lawyers Alliance has greatly benefited from a tireless and dedicated staff, Board, and network of several thousand pro bono attorneys. These special people have helped New York City's nonprofit organizations provide vital services to low-income communites.
Alumni and Friends Profiles
Board of Advisors
Council of New York Law Associates
Founder Neal Johnston - In Memoriam
Former Externs
Former Executive Directors
Lynn Appelbaum is the Deputy Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses of New York, a long-time Lawyers Alliance client. (February 2020)
Robin Bell-Stevens is the Director and Executive Producer of Jazzmobile, a long-time Lawyers Alliance community arts client. (December 2022)
Kimberly Brown Blacklow was once a Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton extern at Lawyers Alliance, and recently served on our Board of Directors. (Spring 2012)
Randal (Bob) Craft was one of the founders of The Council of New York Law Associates and is currently Of Counsel at Holland & Knight LLP. (May 2019)
Ira Friedman, retired from MetLife, served on Lawyers Alliance's Board from 1998 to 2004, including as Chair from 2001 to 2004. During his Board tenure, Lawyers Alliance conducted its 35th Anniversary Campaign to secure program and endowment support. (Spring 2013)
Edward F. Greene, Senior Counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, was among the small group of attorneys who created the Council of New York Law Associates in 1969. He is currently Chair of Lawyers Alliance's Board of Advisors. (Spring 2014)
Joseph Guay, a partner and Real Estate Section Leader at Holland & Knight LLP, was honored with the Cornerstone Award in 2009 for his extensive work with nonprofits and continues to be an active volunteer. (Winter 2013)
Katherine Hughes, pro bono attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, maintains an active slate of pro bono work for nonprofits and social enterprises. She was an extern at Lawyers Alliance for four months in 2012-2013. (March 2019)
Bradley Kulman, a partner in the New York office of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, was honored with the Cornerstone Award in 2004 for his exemplary pro bono work and continues to engage in substantial pro bono work on behalf of nonprofits. (Winter 2014)
Peter M. Labonski, a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, is Lawyers Alliance's Board Chair. Read his Q & A about pro bono service and Lawyers Alliance's 50th anniversary year. (Autumn 2018)
B.K. Lee, counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, has a long-term volunteer relationship with an economic opportunity nonprofit organization and received a Cornerstone Award in 2014 for his outstanding pro bono work. (January 2019)
Sheila Avrin McLean and David McLean first became involved with the Council of New York Law Associates in the early 1970s when a group of young associates, who were members of the Council and the City Bar, took action to give young lawyers a greater voice in the City Bar's governance. (Winter 2011)
Maria Mottola, Executive Director of the New York Foundation, is a steadfast supporter of Lawyers Alliance. When working at a nonprofit organization early in her career, she was also a Lawyers Alliance client. (Autumn 2013)
Jill Rosenberg, a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, has been a longtime Lawyers Alliance volunteer, has served on our Board of Directors, and is a current member of the Board of Advisors. She received a Cornerstone Award in 2016. (Winter 2017)
Ira G. Rosenstein: As part of Lawyers Alliance's 45th anniversary celebration, the 2014 Cornerstone Awards featured the announcement of the 15 Year Circle, more than 60 volunteers whose pro bono work spans at least 15 years. One special member is Ira G. Rosenstein of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, who has provided pro bono legal services to BronxWorks and Lawyers Alliance. (Autumn 2014)
Barbara A. Schatz served as Executive Director of the Council of New York Law Associates from 1977 to 1984, a period of growth and change for the young organization. (Autumn 2012)
Cynthia R. Shoss was first a Lawyers Alliance pro bono attorney, then a member (and later, Chair) of the Lawyers Alliance Board of Directors during the 1990s, and now the Vice Chair of our Board of Advisors. (Spring 2011)
David Sternlieb was a Lawyers Alliance funder, volunteer, and is now a client, at Pursuit Transformation Company. (March 2022)
S. Anita Sinha Stone was once a Skadden Extern at Lawyers Alliance and was instrumental in the formation of Lawyers Alliance's Associates Advisory Board, and served as its first president. (Autumn 2011)
Board of Advisors
Formed in 2011, the Board of Advisors includes several former members of Lawyers Alliance's Board of Directors and provides strategic, development, and operational guidance to the organization. Edward F. Greene of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Cynthia R. Shoss of Eversheds-Sutherland (US) LLP serve as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.
Council of New York Law Associates
A group of law firm associates met while working on John Lindsay's 1968 mayoral re-election campaign ("Lawyers for Lindsay"). As young lawyers, they felt inadequately integrated into the profession, lacked outlets for public service work, and needed a forum to share their interests with others. Out of these concerns, the Council of New York Law Associates was born in 1969.
Click here for a list of founders and early members of the Council.
Read more history about the Council's evolution to the present day Lawyers Alliance.
Help us build our archive and alumni database. Share your experiences with the Council of New York Law Associates or Lawyers Alliance for New York with Marketing and Communications Director Emily Crossan at 212-219-1800 x233 or [email protected].
Founder Neal Johnston
Founder Neal Johnston passed away on May 24, 2010. He is remembered for his warmth, wit, and irrepressible heart. His family, friends, and former colleagues from the Council of New York Law Associates celebrated his life at a memorial service held at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York on Friday, October 1, 2010.
See more, including remembrances.
Former Externs
We are grateful to law firms that sponsor ongoing externship programs at Lawyers Alliance. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP created the first externship at Lawyers Alliance in 1989; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP joined in 1999; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP also joined in 1999. Since 1980, Lawyers Alliance has had 210 externs, who are attorneys that work full-time at Lawyers Alliance for four months on a rotating basis.
Learn More About Lawyers Alliance
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