The Washington State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) is pleased to announce that the 2010 Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award recipient is Seattle attorney Lisa E. Schaures, of Perkins Coie. The WYLD board of trustees selected Ms. Schaures in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the provision of pro bono services to those in need.
Ms. Schaures is an associate for Perkins Coie's business practice and focuses on federal tax matters. She received her law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and her LL.M. in taxation from the University of Washington School of Law. Before joining Perkins Coie, she worked for the University of Oregon School of Law Small Business Clinic, providing free legal assistance to Oregon business owners.
Ms. Schaures coordinates volunteer attorneys for Perkins Coie's monthly clinics with the Compass Center, a homeless shelter that provides a range of services and housing options to low-income individuals in the Seattle area. Along with coordinating the monthly clinics, Ms. Schaures is also committed to taking on pro bono cases directly.
In addition to her work with the Compass Center clinic, the Nonprofit Assistance Center's Nonprofit Legal Clinic, and the King County Bar Association (KCBA) Business Assistance Panel, Ms. Schaures has provided pro bono advice to more than 50 nonprofit organizations in 2010 and more than 25 nonprofit organizations in 2009. In February 2009, she was recognized as the KCBA's Volunteer of the Month for her work on its Legal Services for the Homeless Program; in 2008, she was the recipient of the Perkins Coie Pro Bono Leadership Award.
Ms. Schaures is an active member of the board of directors for InvestED, a public charity committed to fund the efforts of secondary schools throughout Washington state to immediately help students in need. Most recently, she was part of the pro bono team of legal advisors who worked with Explorer West Middle School, an independent middle school that excels in fostering emotional, social, and intellectual growth in students.