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The Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award

Professional Cropped Herndon Courtney Mintz

2025 Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award Winner

Courtney Herndon’s pro bono work centers on reproductive rights, supporting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and LGBTQ+ equality. Over the past year, she has conducted substantive legal research in collaboration with the Center for Reproductive Rights and drafted appellate briefs on behalf of sexual assault and domestic violence survivors through her work with the Victim Rights Law Center. She also partnered with a cross-office Mintz team and GLAD Law to co-author an amicus brief supporting access to HIV prevention medication (PrEP) under the Affordable Care Act—a key provision upheld by the Supreme Court in its June ruling.

Courtney’s dedication to pro bono work reflects both compassion and precision. She approaches each matter with thoughtfulness and a deep commitment to justice, and her work has had a real and lasting impact on the lives of our clients.

- Sue Finegan, Chair of the Pro Bono Committee

 

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Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award Winners

On behalf of the firm, the Pro Bono Committee presents an annual award to an attorney who demonstrates leadership and commitment in the area of pro bono. To date, recipients of the Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award include:  

2025

Courtney Herndon – Fighting for Access to Lifesaving HIV Medicine

2024

Nicholas Butto – Providing Sanctuary for Survivors

2023

Alyssa Scruggs – Sex trafficking advocacy and legislative efforts

2022

Kerime Akoglu, Amanda Asaro, Sylvia Belardo, Taylor Carman, Kaitlyn Crowe, Carly Halpin, Nicole Henry, Narges Kakalia, Keri Judd, Doris Lopez, Joe Ort, Milan Sani, Nell Shea, David Siegal, and Robyn Stewart - won asylum for a Honduran Justice of the Peace and her family, securing a relatively rare stipulation from the government based entirely on pre-hearing written filings

2021

Rithika Kulathila, Nick Armington, and Nadia Do Canto - establish a Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) sealing clinic

2020

Andrew DeVoogd - Amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of 40 Law & History Professors, in coordination with GLAD and Freedom for All Americans; political asylum and domestic violence work

2019

Mathilda McGee-Tubb - ACLU Census citizenship brief, political asylum, and domestic violence work

2018

Lavinia M. Weizel - sex trafficking legislation and housing advocacy

2017

Kerime S. Akoglu – asylum and bankruptcy work

2016

Maryann Civitello - Elizabeth Stone House (Boston-based domestic violence shelter)

2015

Katy E. Ward - pro bono clinics and model legal education classes for nonprofit leaders

2014

Alec Zadek - sex trafficking and domestic violence

2013

Ella Shenhav - immigration, domestic violence, and bankruptcy work

2012

Anthony Hubbard - nonprofit assistance

2011

Marisa Howe - political asylum

2010

Jeff Goldman - immigration relief for victims of the earthquake in Haiti

2009

Helen Guyton - domestic violence and sexual assault projects

2008

Narges M. Kakalia - political asylum work and reinvigoration of the New York Pro Bono Program

2007

Scott Moskel - Hurricane Katrina relief work

2006

Martha J. Koster - Hurricane Katrina assistance initiative

2005

Noah Shaw - Innocence Project and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

2004

Christian Hildebrand - Lawyers Committee for Human Rights

2003

Lisa Glahn - Family Advocacy Program

2002

Beth Boland and McLarey Team - protection of children from abuse

2001

DC Office (2001) - domestic violence and many other initiatives

2000

Tracy Miner (2000) - Federal Defenders Program

1999

Grant Sovern - Volunteer Lawyers Project

1998

Susan M. Finegan - Lawyers Committee for Affordable Housing and Homelessness

1997

M. Daria Niewenhous - Domestic Violence Project

1996

Tony Varona - Human Rights Campaign

1995

Richard Mintz and Stuart A. Offner - Vilna Center for Jewish Heritage

1994

Kathleen Sheehan - Lawyers Committee for Affordable Housing and Homelessness

1993

Paul Wilson - Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

1992

Susan J. Cohen - Political Asylum Immigrant Representation Project

1991

Kathy Pawlowski and Navjeet Bal - Domestic Violence Project

 

Other Mintz Pro Bono Awards

On a periodic basis, the Pro Bono Committee will also present additional awards and recognition to attorneys who have demonstrated exemplary commitment in the area of pro bono. These awards include: