section update
PILs: our First Year in Review
by Haley A. schwartz
Abrams, Davis, Mason & Long
[email protected]
t
he Public Interest Law Section (PILS), in its first year
as a Section of the Atlanta Bar, has had an incredible
year of programming, social events and collaborations.
Our programs support the substantive and emotional practice
of public interest attorneys, celebrate pro bono service, and
highlight the impact and gaps present in serving the legal
needs of the poor and most vulnerable in our community. The
Section brings together a collaboration of public interest and
private lawyers, law students and judges and reaches a wide
spectrum of community stakeholders invested and engaged
in social justice. This collaboration not only improves upon
our discussion of how to better and more thoughtfully address
issues that affect the poor and marginalized, but has also
created a culture of inclusion within the Atlanta Bar for public
interest attorneys which honors the Atlanta Bar's mission of
being an organization comprised of Lawyers Who Serve. We
are so proud of what PILS has accomplished in its inaugural
year, and we are grateful for the support of the entire Atlanta
Bar in our efforts.
Our year began with the creation of the Rita A. Sheffey Public
Interest Award which was presented to Rita as the award's
first recipient during the Celebrating Service Luncheon on
October 19, 2012. Rita is the brainchild of PILS and has
devoted much of her career to supporting public interest
legal organizations and lawyers. The award will be given
annually to an attorney working in the public interest who
demonstrates both excellence in their profession and
leadership within the Atlanta Bar.
In November, with generous c