Posted June 6, 20181:10 pm
Deborah Coleman, of Coleman Law LLC, has been selected as a 2018 recipient the American Bar Association’s national Pro Bono Publico award for her outstanding dedication to volunteering with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Coleman, who specializes in conflict resolution as a mediator and arbitrator in her private practice, has a long history of pro bono work with Legal Aid and other groups, logging more than 340 hours representing Legal Aid clients and providing advice at Legal Aid’s brief advice clinics in the last five years.
She has also been a leader in drawing other attorneys to volunteer with Legal Aid, serving as chair of the ACT 2 Advisory Committee. Legal Aid’s ACT 2 program engages retired and late-career attorneys in pro bono work. Deborah also serves on Legal Aid’s Board of Directors Pro Bono Committee.
“I have admired her holistic commitment to volunteering first hand for more than 15 years,” said Ann McGowan Porath, Managing Attorney for Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Program. “Deborah is one of our ‘go-to attorneys’ for the difficult and hard to place matters. She does not hesitate to step up to help.”
The Pro Bono Publico Awards are the top honors given by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, which over the years has spotlighted pro bono efforts of individual lawyers and small and large law firms, government attorney offices, corporate law departments and other institutions in the legal profession.
Porath says the honor is well-deserved, as Coleman combines her legal skills with compassion and individual concern for every client – many whose legal problems are complicated by the emotional weight of an impending eviction or foreclosure, loss of income, or unfair debts practices.
“Clients are often fearful of unknown consequences – this could be their first time speaking with an attorney,” Porath said. “Deborah works tirelessly and patiently to ensure each client is comfortable and understands the process – understands what is happening. And she has a fierce determination, seeking positive resolutions for each client she assists.”
About the ABA:
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.
The American Bar Association will present awards at its Annual Meeting Aug. 2-7 in Chicago to two individual lawyers and three law firms for demonstrating outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for the poor and disadvantaged.