Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP was honored with the 2017 Keta Taylor Colby Award for pro bono service from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCR). Coblentz Pro Bono Committee chair Howard Slavitt and committee member Mark Hejinian accepted the award on the firm’s behalf at the LCCR 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Luncheon at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
Each year, LCCR honors select partners for exceptional advocacy on behalf of their clients and in support of their mission to advance civil rights. The Keta Taylor Colby Award is presented to a legal partner who provides outstanding representation to the poor and under-represented through involvement in the Second Chance Legal Clinic, which addresses the civil consequences of the disproportionate representation of people of color and low-income affected by the criminal justice system.
Of the firm’s pro bono efforts, LCCR noted, “Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass has excelled in its pro bono representation of low income and marginalized individuals. Last year, under Howard Slavitt’s leadership as co-chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee, Coblentz made significant pro bono contributions in a variety of program areas, including Election Protection, Legal Services for Entrepreneurs, and Asylum.
Most notably, Coblentz has also been an especially dedicated partner for the Second Chance Clinic. 27 of the firm’s attorneys represented 16 Clinic clients helping to remove barriers to employment and reopen the doors of opportunity for the clients and their families. Among the firm’s outstanding pro bono team, Mark Hejinian particularly excelled in his dedication of time and commitment to access to justice for all. For example, he diligently worked to assist a mother of a special needs child to clear legal hurdles preventing her from securing her license as a registered nurse. His dedication and legal advocacy made it possible for the client to secure employment to provide for her family.”