Helaine M. Barnett, president of the Legal Services Corporation, has received the New York State Bar Association's (NYSBA) 2005 Gold Medal Award.
The award, the highest recognition given by the state bar to a lawyer or judge, was presented to Ms. Barnett, a nationally prominent lawyer who has dedicated her 40-year career to providing legal services to the poor in New York City as an advocate with The Legal Aid Society of New York, at the President's Dinner on January 29.
Association President Kenneth G. Standard of Chappaqua, said, "Helaine's dedication and leadership in ensuring all citizens have access to legal services has been invaluable to the poor in our state and made her one of the most respected attorneys in the American legal community."
Her experience includes nearly three decades of service with the Legal Aid Society's multi-office civil division, which she headed from 1994-2003. During Ms. Barnett's tenure, the civil division grew into a nationally recognized provider, delivering high-quality civil legal assistance to more than 25,000 clients annually through a network of eight neighborhood-based offices and specialized citywide programs.