Every year, the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation celebrates the good works of attorneys who are making an impact on pro bono efforts. We’re excited to announce that the recipient of this year’s George H. Hettrick Leadership Award is Ms. Sharon Burr, Chief Deputy Counsel of the Dominion Legal Department, for her efforts in establishing an important partnership with Hunton Andrews Kurth to expand pro bono services and her work with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.
Furthermore, Ms. Burr serves on the board of Drive to Work, a nonprofit helping to restore driving privileges to low-income or previously incarcerated persons. Sharon continuously recruits lawyers within Dominion to participate in pro bono initiatives. Nominators Noopur Garg and David Depippo stated that “despite working with an in-house legal department that offers a smaller pool of available attorneys, Sharon has been successful in recruiting participants and instrumental in the establishment of two different important pro bono service opportunities.” Ms. Burr’s impact on pro bono efforts is clearly proven through her dedicated service over the years.
Our recipient for the Benjamin R. Lacy, IV Volunteer of the Year (and this was a close one) is Ms. Alexandria Cuff of McGuireWoods. Ms. Cuff has been a critical volunteer with the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) for over a decade in their Pro Bono Housing Unit. She quickly led LAJC through the COVID crisis to continue to be able to take appointments and adapt to virtual work. Nevertheless, she doesn’t shy away from making it to court.
Alexandria has been the recipient of several other awards, including the Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2018, and the Next Generation of Philanthropy Award in recognition of her group efforts on behalf of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. Nominator Louisa Rich stated that they are “very lucky to have such a talented volunteer working with LAJC” and that “she has shown exceptional care for each of her clients.”
Ms. Cuff’s practice focuses on defending clients in credit card, banking, and bankruptcy matters involving violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Truth in Lending Act, and state law consumer protection statutes in state and federal courts across the country. She has conducted bench trials in Virginia state courts; prepared third-party witnesses to testify at trials across Virginia; and served as an integral member of trial teams for cases in state and federal court in Virginia.
Please join us on Tuesday, October 26 at 4 pm to join the celebration. Two hours of FREE CLE credits will be offered in No Fault Divorce and DV Protective Order Trainings.
