International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that Joe Gaffney, a partner in the Firm’s Tax and Estate Planning Group, has received the 2014 Pro Bono Award from King County Bar Association. He was honored at the King County Bar Association’s Annual Dinner on June 18, 2014.
Mr. Gaffney has a long and distinguished career supporting pro bono activities on behalf of the poor and disadvantaged. Forty years ago, he and two other attorneys started the Neighborhood Legal Clinic program (NLC) to offer free, limited legal advice and referrals to King County residents and Washington State residents with legal issues in King County who might otherwise have no access to the legal system. The NLC program has since expanded to 35 clinics across King County, serving more than 8,000 clients each year. He still volunteers at Country Doctor Medical Clinic; it was the first such client and provided the model for the substantial growth that followed.
In addition to his work with the Neighborhood Legal Clinics, Mr. Gaffney is involved with numerous civic and community activities. He is chairman of the Board of Directors for the College Success Foundation and a board member of the Brotman Family and Nesholm Family foundations, the Seattle Foundation, the Seattle University Foundation and the Full Life Care Advisory Board.
“Community is a Dorsey core value, and pro bono work is one of the most important ways we give back to the community,” said Ken Cutler, Managing Partner of Dorsey & Whitney. “Joe’s long-standing commitment and passion to help the disadvantaged in our communities obtain access to legal services exemplifies that core value. We are extremely proud of his achievements and of this recognition.”
In 2013, Dorsey lawyers devoted more than 30,000 hours in total to pro bono projects. The Firm was an original signatory of the 1993 ABA Pro Bono Challenge and has met the Challenge every year since then by devoting more than three percent of billable hours to pro bono services.
The 2014 KCBA Annual Awards Dinner celebrates the King County Bar Association's mission of justice, professionalism and service. The evening recognizes a group of inspiring recipients who have made a tremendous impact on the practice of law and administration of justice.