The Saturday Lawyer “Making a
Difference” Award: Nick Stanislo, Manager,
Civil Investigations, Kilpatrick Townsend &
Stockton LLP
The Saturday Lawyer “Making
a Difference” Award is given
to a non-attorney member of
the community whose work
makes a difference in how
effectively our program and
volunteers are able to achieve
justice on behalf of our clients.
Nobody fits that description – or
meets an unmet need – better
that Nick Stanislo. As the
Manager of Civil Investigations
at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Nick generously
provides AVLF’s staff, volunteers, and – by extension – our
clients, with investigative resources that can, quite literally,
make the difference in a case. Until 2007, he was involved in
numerous in-house pro bono cases, but that year he offered,
and Kilpatrick Townsend generously agreed, to assist AVLF
in a much broader array of situations where he services were
needed. Whatever the request, Nick responds with seemingly
impossible speed and reports that are as thorough as they
are professional. It is Nick’s enthusiasm for and engagement
with the work, however, that sets him apart. We are often
apologetic for the seemingly complex nature of some of our
requests of Nick, but Nick is never anything but excited to
help. To the extent the request does present a challenge
– which is rarely the case for Nick – he embraces it and
always finds the answer. Nick helps us find employers and
slumlords that cannot or do not want to be found, indentifies
who owns which properties or what assets an individual may
have, and offers a host of other services that we simply could
not provide to our clients and volunteers without him. Many
of our cases could not even get off the ground – and justice
could never be achieved – without the work that Nick does.
The fact that he is caring, a consummate professional, and
simply a joy to work with is just a bonus. AVLF is grateful for
the difference that Nick Stanislo – and Kilpatrick Townsend
& Stockton – makes in the lives of our clients and we are
proud to present him with this year’s “Making a Difference”
Award. ■
The Saturday Lawyer “Making a Difference”
Award: Steven Nelson Cayton
Since graduating law school in 2009 Steven Cayton has been
an active member of the Atlanta Legal Community. Starting
out in a small consumer advocacy law firm, Steven from
the start expressed an interest in volunteering in the legal
community. Steven is now a solo-attorney focused primarily
on representing the interest of juveniles in Georgia, as well
as victims of domestic violence. He has a long history of
volunteering and community service. While in undergrad
Steven served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for four
and a half years. Here in Atlanta he has worked with Atlanta
Volunteer Lawyers Foundation in their Guardian ad Litem
program and representing victims of domestic violence as
they seek protective orders. Steven averages one to two
cases a month with AVLF and has shown a commitment to
continued service to the community.
Steven is a 2009 graduate of Western New England
University School of Law and a 2003 Graduate of Elon
University. He grew up in Atlanta and currently resides in
the Midtown neighborhood. ■
NIGHTMARE ON
WEBINAR
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA BAR
CLE. MONDAY, OCTOBER 31,
1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. 1 CLE HOUR,
INCLUDING 1 ETHICS HOUR.
REGISTER ONLINE AT
WWW.ATLANTABAR.ORG OR CALL
THE ATLANTA BAR ASSOCIATION AT
404-521-0781.
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
August/September 2011
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
17