Celebrating Service
2013 Rita A. Sheffey Public Interest Award:
Tamara Serwer Caldas
By Melanie Velez,
Southern Center for Human Rights
[email protected]
I
n 2012, the Public Interest Law Section (PILS) awarded
the inaugural Rita A. Sheffey Public Interest Award to Rita
herself, establishing a way to honor members of Atlanta’s
thriving public interest community. For 2013, the PILS board
has chosen to honor Tamara Serwer Caldas, a creative and
dedicated attorney with a long-standing commitment to advocating for underserved communities.
The award is named in honor of Rita A. Sheffey, the creator
of the Public Interest Law Section and former president of the
boards of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Atlanta Legal Aid
Society and the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. Rita’s
commitment to and development of public interest programs and
professionals through her leadership is unmatched. Her career
represents the highest example of service to our profession.
The breadth and depth of Tamara’s creative and compassionate
advocacy for the poor and underserved meets the high
bar established by Rita.
Tamara has dedicated
her career to working on
social justice issues. The
longest tenures in her
career have been with the
Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers
Foundation (AVLF), where
she currently serves as
Deputy Director, and at
the Southern Center for
Human Rights (SCHR).
of confinement. In addition, Tamara is a founding member
of what is now PILS and fostered its growth. She has also
mentored and supported many new lawyers as they gain
their footing in our profession. Tamara’s extensive record
of success at both AVLF and SCHR and her dedication to
public service has made her a leading member of our legal
community. “Tamara is widely admired in the public interest
community, and we are honored to recognize her with the
Rita A. Sheffey Award,” said Beth Stephens, current PILS
chair.
Through her work at AVLF,
Tamara promotes access
to justice for people who
are unable to pay for an
attorney’s services by
engaging Atlanta’s lawyers
in pro bono work. At SCHR,
Tamara led litigation on
behalf of people in prisons
and jails challenging
unconstitutional conditions
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
October 2013
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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