Autumn · 2007 ·
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autumn · 2007 · Enhancing Public Education Opportunities In New York City A strong educational system underpins the social fabric of New York City, enabling low-income students to succeed in careers not open to their parents and preventing middle class families’ fl ight to the suburbs. At a time when 57% of New York City’s public school students perform below grade level, there is increas- ing reliance upon the nonprofi t sector to bolster student performance. Lawyers Alliance builds the capacity of nonprofi ts working in support of quality education. Charter Schools Charter schools are an alternative form of public education. Funded with state education dollars charter schools are managed by a community- focused Board of Trustees rather than a municipal school district. Charter schools have greater fl ex- ibility in curriculum design, setting of the school calendar, and hiring and fi ring of staff. New York State recently authorized the creation of 100 new charter schools, 50 of which will be located in New York City. Each charter school receives authorization to operate for fi ve years and is held accountable to fulfi ll the mission and academic goals contained in its charter. Lawyers Alliance staff and volunteer attorneys work with charter schools on a range of issues relating to formation and governance, real estate continued on page four INSIDE Lifecycle of a Nonprofi t Organization also: Lawyers Alliance Elects New Chair and Vice Chair Law Firm Appeal Housing Pro Bono WORKS Nonprofi t Employment Law Helpline www.lawyersalliance.org Law Firm Appeal Breaks Record Lawyers Alliance would like to thank the generous supporters who responded to our 2006-2007 Law Firm Appeal and helped us achieve a record-breaking year with $564,500 in donations. We would also like to express our gratitude to Law Firm Appeal Co-chairs John R. Ettinger and Richard J. Sandler from Davis Polk & Wardwell for their efforts in making this annual appeal a tremendous success. Allen & Overy Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP Arnold & Porter LLP LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.P. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Linklaters Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Caplin & Drysdale Menaker & Herrmann LLP Chadbourne & Parke LLP Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Clifford Chance US LLP Morrison & Foerster LLP Condon & Forsyth LLP Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP Davis Polk & Wardwell Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Dechert LLP Proskauer Rose LLP Dewey Ballantine LLP Seyfarth Shaw LLP Dickstein Shapiro LLP Shearman & Sterling LLP Emmet, Marvin & Martin, LLP Sidley Austin LLP Epstein, Becker & Green, P.C. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP The Feinberg Group, LLP Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Stillman, Friedman & Shechtman, P.C. Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman & Mackauf Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP Goldfarb & Fleece Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Goodwin Procter LLP Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP Greenberg Traurig, LLP Thacher Proffi tt & Wood LLP Holland & Knight LLP Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP White & Case LLP King & Spalding, LLP Winston & Strawn LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Lawyers Alliance Honored The Council of Senior Centers and Services (“CSCS”) honored Lawyers Alliance with the Caring Corporation Award at its annual benefi t reception on June 11, 2007. The award recognized the hundreds of hours that Lawyers Alliance staff and volunteer attorneys have devoted to assisting CSCS and its member senior services agencies through Lawyers Alliance’s Elder Services Initiative. CAMBA paid tribute to Senior Staff Attorney Hedwig O’Hara and volunteer attorney Cindy Wenig at its annual Benefi t Exhibition for their years of dedicated service. Through her practice focusing on affordable housing and real estate law, Ms. O’Hara helps community-based organizations, citywide nonprofi t groups, and groups formed to assist special needs populations with their affordable housing development projects. Ms. Wenig, a partner in the Real Estate Group at Chadbourne & Park LLP, received a 2006 Cornerstone Award from Lawyers Alliance for her exemplary pro bono work on behalf of CAMBA. 2 Lawyers Alliance Board of Directors Nonprofi t Employment Law Helpline Edward F. Greene Lawyers Alliance recently launched the Nonprofi t law matters to New York City’s dynamic non- (Chair) Citigroup Inc. Employment Law Helpline to better serve our profi t organizations. These organizations rely Jill L. Rosenberg clients’ short-term employment law needs, as well greatly on staff and volunteers to carry out their (Vice-Chair) as provide our volunteers with worthwhile pro mission and day-to-day programs, but they often Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP bono opportunities on an expedited basis. lack human resources departments or attorneys Nicholas A. Kronfeld As employers, our nonprofi t clients often confront on staff who can guide them through employment (Treasurer) human resources issues that require prompt legal law issues. Pro bono attorneys help organizations Davis Polk & Wardwell attention. Similar to their for-profi t counterparts, to evaluate their options, limit their liability, and Samir A. Gandhi ensure a productive workforce for the future. (Secretary) they may need to resolve an immediate wage and Sidley Austin LLP hour, payroll, or employee classifi cation question; If you want to know more about the Nonprofi t S. Ward Atterbury consider an employee termination; respond to a Employment Law Helpline, please contact: White & Case LLP Workers’ Compensation Board or Department Susan Berkwitt Liaison for pro bono attorneys and coordinators: Winston & Strawn LLP of Labor determination; or address harassment Jolynda Burton, Ezra Borut allegations. Lawyers Alliance has identifi ed a Pro Bono Coordinator Debevoise & Plimpton LLP pool of volunteer attorneys who are interested in (212) 219-1800 ext. 242 S. Todd Crider assisting nonprofi t employers on matters requiring [email protected] Simpson Thacher & Bartlett immediate attention that involve 2–10 hours of LLP Liaison for nonprofi t clients: Blair M. Duncan legal work. Upper Manhattan Angela Cheng Empowerment Zone By sharing their time and expertise, Lawyers Program Associate for Client Relations Development Corporation Alliance pro bono attorneys provide invaluable (212) 219-1800 ext. 278 Adam O. Emmerich legal guidance on exciting and current workplace [email protected] Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Elizabeth H. Evans Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP David J. Gilberg Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Housing Pro Bono WORKS Thomas H. Kennedy Skadden, Arps, Slate, The need for affordable housing in New York after obtaining a ruling exempting the transfer, Meagher & Flom LLP City is paramount. Many of our volunteers want enabled one affi liate to transfer the property to Steven L. Kirshenbaum to work on such high impact and satisfying proj- another without incurring a transfer tax of about Proskauer Rose LLP ects but are concerned that they lack suffi cient $45,000. As a result, eight women participating in Bonda Lee-Cunningham Federation of Protestant affordable housing and/or real estate experience. the program were reunited with their families and Welfare Agencies Lawyers Alliance’s Housing Pro Bono WORKS moved into their new homes. Michael S. Levine welcomes non-real estate and real estate attorneys Lawyers Alliance staff attorneys actively co- Local Initiatives Support of various skill levels. Corporation counsel with pro bono attorneys on these proj- William F. Lloyd The results capture what is best about pro bono – ects, particularly in areas that are unfamiliar to Deloitte & Touche USA LLP making a better life possible for deserving indi- the volunteers. They work alongside volunteers Ronald E. Richman viduals. Last year, pro bono volunteers from Davis throughout the closing process, share the comple- Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP Polk & Wardwell partnered with Lawyers Alliance tion of tasks, and assist at the closing table as Ira I. Roxland Sonnenschein Nath & in representing Hour Children (HC) in its develop- needed. A chart of project tasks and skills, which Rosenthal LLP ment of a new permanent supportive housing proj- is classifi ed by attorney experience level, is avail- Patricia A. Sampson ect for low-income women who were released from able to help potential volunteers assess the legal The Bank of New York Mellon prison and their families. This kind of support is skills that they can bring to a project. Michael S. Solender Bear Stearns shown to drastically reduce the rate of recidivism. Please contact Pro Bono Coordinator Jolynda Pro bono volunteers helped HC to create affi liates, Burton at [email protected] or have one affi liate acquire the property and accept (212) 219-1800 ext. 242 to learn more about this a loan from New York City. Lawyers Alliance program and to obtain a copy of the chart. also helped HC obtain equity from investors in exchange for tax credits, modify the loan, and 3 Lawyers Alliance Staff Enhancing Public Education Opportunities Christina Anjesky Director of Development In New York City Tanya Apple Administrative