NY CITY BAR JUSTICE
CENTER ANNOUNCES LYNN M. KELLY AS NEW EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
New York – Lynn M. Kelly
will be the New York City Bar Justice Center ’s
new Executive Director announced Barry Kamins
, President of the Justice Center , today. She
will take the helm of one of the city’s
premier providers of pro bono services for indigent
New Yorkers, including immigrants, victims of
violence, ex offenders trying to re-enter society,
the homeless and New Yorkers seeking help on
a variety of legal matters.
Kelly has been the Executive Director of MFY
Legal Services since 1998 and has been an active
participant and leader at the New York City Bar
and other Bar Associations throughout New York
State . She has devoted her career to the legal
needs of the poor which started upon her graduation
from New York University Law School in 1982.
Kelly later became the Director of Litigation
in the Harlem Neighborhood Office of the Legal
Aid Society and has been a clinical/adjunct professor
at New York University School of Law, Fordham
University School of Law and New York Law School
. Kelly sits on numerous boards, including the
Board of Directors for the New York County Lawyers
Association and was the co-founder of the Coalition
of Independent Legal Aid/Legal Services Providers.
“We are thrilled to be joined by a recognized
leader in the legal services world who will direct
our pro bono efforts. Whether it concerns issues
of housing, health care or immigration, no one
has more dedication than Lynn when it comes to
lawyering for the poor,” says Samuel W.
Seymour, Board Chair of the City Bar Justice
Center .
Increasing access to justice has been a top
priority of the Association since its founding
in 1870. But according to Barbara Berger Opotowsky
, Executive Director of the New York City Bar “With
increased demands on attorneys’ time, it
is difficult to meet the ever-growing need for
pro bono civil legal services. The fact that
Lynn knows how to expand and leverage funding
and pro bono efforts so that we can reach more
people in need is an invaluable resource for
both the City Bar and the public.”
Kelly is looking forward to starting her new
position on October 29, 2007 . According to Kelly “ To
be able to guide the Justice Center as it grows
and addresses new legal needs in partnership
with the private bar, while still nurturing its
existing programs, is an opportunity I couldn’t
turn down. I am honored to be joining this group
of dedicated attorneys committed to equal justice.”
The City Bar Justice Center, the
pro bono affiliate of the New York City Bar,
increases access to justice by leveraging the
resources of the New York City legal community.
Justice Center projects are focused in three
areas: immigrant justice, economic justice and
family justice. The Justice Center also operates
the city’s busiest legal
hotline and special projects. The Justice Center
annually provides direct legal representation,
information and advocacy to over 25,000 poor
and vulnerable New Yorkers.
About the Association
The New York
City Bar Association (www.nycbar.org)
was founded in 1870, and since then has been
dedicated to maintaining the high ethical
standards of the profession, promoting reform
of the law, and providing service to the profession
and the public. The Association continues to
work for political, legal and social reform,
while implementing innovative means to help
the disadvantaged. Protecting the public’s welfare remains one of the
Association’s highest priorities.
