Celebrating LeGaL's Extraordinary Volunteers and Law Firm Leaders

LeGaL's Leadership Council was thrilled with the turnout at our annual volunteer Thanksgiving. We had the opportunity to honor some of our generous volunteers, highlight our amazing client stories, and provide our members, volunteers and supporters with the opportunity to get to know one another better over food and drinks. 

It could not have had such a special evening without the generosity of our hosts, Seyfarth & Shaw, LLP, who went above and beyond in the hosting department to make the event truly memorable. 

Additionally we want to thank the members of the business community who donated items to our silent auction. The willingness of these businesses to donate to LeGaL not only made the auction possible, but also helped us raise in excess of $3,000, which will be used to support our critical programs, client representations and community outreach efforts. 

Specifically we want to extend our thanks to:

• JetBlue   

• Marriott Marquis   

• One World Observatory   

• City Winery   

• Slice of Brooklyn Tours   

• Head Over Heels and The Prom on Broadway   

• BLACK LIGHT and Sleep No More Off-Broadway.

And a special thanks to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose autographed books were a hot bidding commodity!

The night was made even more special by the attendance of two of LeGaL’s current clients, who spoke movingly of their gratitude for the pro bono attorneys who fought for their rights as parents and for the rights of all LGBT people.

Jennifer Sundt of Bender & Rosenthal LLP was awarded the Pro Bono Excellence Award for her indomitable representation of our client, Darby Foreman. Darby is the non-biological/non-adoptive parent of a little girl who was taken across the country last year by Darby's former partner. Darby came to LeGaL's Clinic for help, and, after many months of trial, Jennifer and LeGaL were successful in getting the child back.

The Law Firm Leadership Award was presented to Latham & Watkins LLP, with special recognition of Virginia Tent, for the firm’s representation of another LeGaL client. This client, too, is a non-biological/non-adoptive parent, whose ex sent her son to a relative in Massachusetts, and more recently to the Dominican Republic. Virginia and her team are working tirelessly to ensure that the client’s son is returned and that she will have the full recognition and protection of her rights as a parent. 

Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who make LeGaL’s work on behalf of the LGBT community possible!