Pro Bono Activities

I have a long and diverse commitment to pro bono activities both locally and in the international arena. I am proud to have developed award-winning pro bono programs that have received recognition from both the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association for their contribution to the community-at-large.

Locally, I have served as a Small Claims Arbitrator in New York City's Civil Court since 1989. Also, I created, produced and hosted a local cable T.V. program, "Legal Forum," devoted to the education of the public on relevant everyday legal issues. Over the years, I have lectured at various venues and appeared on numerous programs on a wide range of legal topics.

Internationally, I served as an Election Supervisor in war-torn Bosnia shortly after the Dayton Accords in 1996. In 1999, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice, in association with the Central and East European Law Initiative, I interviewed Kosovo refugees for evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity – evidence to aid in prosecutions at the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague.

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, I was a leading figure in the legal relief efforts in New York City and received several awards in recognition of this work. Amongst other things, I assisted victims' families and coordinated volunteers in preparing the requisite documents to obtain death certificates and the entitlements to which issuance of a death certificate was an essential prerequisite. Also, I developed an Adopt-A-Family Program to assist the families of first responders who perished on September 11, 2001.