11th Annual And Justice For All..

Luncheon Inspires

Lynne Esselstein, Legal Aid President

Keynote Speaker Jeff Hyman, Intel Corporation

M. Stacey Hawver, Executive Director Legal Aid

( photos by James R. Kaspar/JRK Images)

Legal Aid’s sold-out luncheon, And Justice For All… was held on Friday May 2, at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. The luncheon inspired the guests and helped raise $240,600 in sponsorships for Legal Aid programs. One highlight of the program was a surprise guest, a Legal Aid client from the Teen Parent Project, who spoke movingly about the role Legal Aid has played in her life, evoking a standing ovation from the entire room.

Joe Cotchett of Cotchett, Pitre, & McCarthy updated the crowd about Legal Aid’s Endowment for which he is Co-Chair. He announced that the Endowment has surpassed the $2 million milestone and will be a source of support for Legal Aid programs in the future.

Keynote speaker Jeff Hyman inspired the room by speaking about the importance of pro bono work, telling story after story of clients that inspired him. Hyman successfully founded a pro bono program in the corporate setting of Intel Corporation where he is Group Counsel. Intel and Baker McKenzie partner with Legal Aid on the Special Education Pro Bono Project. You can read Jeff’s speech by clicking here.

The theme of pro bono and enthusiasm for Legal Aid’s work continued with presentations of the annual awards, the Natalie Lanam Achievement Award, the Dorothy M. Wolfe Award and the Guardian of Justice Award. The recipients were Joseph Galligan C.P.A. of Galligan Thompson & Flocas LLP, Margaret Laughlin Martin of the Law Offices of Margaret Laughlin Martin, and the firm of Cooley Godward Kronish LLP accordingly. All three recipients have been committed supporters and participants of Legal Aid, pro bono, and the mission to bring equal access to justice for low-income residents of San Mateo County.