[ Press Release ]
Duane Morris Gives Pro Bono Award
October 24, 2007
ATLANTA, October 24, 2007 - Duane Morris LLP awarded Leah Poynter, an associate in the firm's Trial Practice Group in Atlanta, its first annual pro bono award for her outstanding work with the organization One Child, One Lawyer.
The new Duane Morris Pro Bono Award is given to an individual or group within the Duane Morris community who has shown exceptional commitment to pro bono service in terms of both hours served and the impact of their work. The recipients receive $5,000 to donate to a local legal service provider of their choice. Leah donated her award to the One Child, One Lawyer program.
One Child, One Lawyer is an organization that recruits lawyers who are willing to provide pro bono legal services to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children in Georgia. Normally, children involved in legal proceedings see multiple lawyers during drawn-out cases. These lawyers may be unfamiliar with them and their history. Through this program, a child is given a single attorney who agrees to donate his or her time for the duration of the child's case. In this manner, the child experiences continuity during the proceedings and receives the best possible legal representation.
Leah Poynter was a founding member of the "One Child, One Lawyer" program in Atlanta when it opened in 2004 and continues as a volunteer attorney. She was appointed to represent a 1-year-old child who was taken into state custody when his mother abandoned him in a park. She helped a child throughout the course of a year and a half long case that went to trial, and has recently signed on to help a second child.
As a child advocate in her first case, Leah's responsibilities extended beyond her role as an attorney. She also served as a guardian ad litem for the boy, visiting him regularly in his foster home, following up on the mother's scheduled visits, and generally acting on his best interests.
Leah represented the boy in a trial that resulted in the termination of his birth mother's parental rights. Today, the child is thriving in a loving, adoptive home. He transformed from a silent baby who barely interacted with people to a joyous 3-year-old, who loves to run up and down the stairs in his new house. Leah recently attended his christening, at which she became one of his godmothers along with his adoptive aunt.
"Representing children who have been abused and neglected adds depth to my everyday life," said Leah. "I plan to stick with this important and life-changing program, and I hope that my efforts will help to increase attorney involvement in the future."
Leah focuses her practice at Duane Morris on intellectual property and commercial litigation. She is a 2003 magna cum laude graduate of Georgia State University College of Law and received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Tulane University. In addition to her work with One Child, One Lawyer, she is on the Public Affairs Committee of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, and a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the world, is a full-service firm of more than 600 lawyers. In addition to legal services, Duane Morris has independent affiliates employing approximately 100 professionals engaged in other disciplines. With offices in major markets in the United States and internationally, Duane Morris represents clients across the U.S. and around the world.