Pro Bono & Community
Recognizing that true legal excellence requires a commitment to the legal bar and the community, Young Conaway encourages its associates to become involved in local, state and national bar organizations, participate in public service activities, and to serve on community, civic, alumni and religious organizations.
Young Conaway’s commitment to the legal community is evidenced by its numerous awards and organizational memberships. Firm founder Bruce Stargatt once described the firm's historical commitment as follows: [We] have been from our earliest days led by professionals in the best sense of that word. By this I mean that Jim Morford and Hy Young loved the practice of law not as a means of accumulating great wealth, but as a calling with high standards, a life’s work, a vocation. Money would come, but it was not the driving force which animated them. They took pride in shouldering the burden of handling unpopular cases, and they took pleasure in participating in activities strengthening the Courts and the Bar. They felt they could not be good lawyers without being good members of the community. It was as natural for them to share their time and resources with their less fortunate neighbors as it was to earn a living for their own families.
Most recently, the firm and Senior Counsel Curtis J. Crowther were honored in April as the recipients of the Delaware State Bar Association's firm and individual Awards for Distinguished Leadership in Pro Bono Service. In three of the past five years, attorneys of Young Conaway have received the Caleb R. Layton III Service Award granted by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for their service to the Court. The firm is also proud to have been honored as the 2005 Corporate Statewide recipient of the Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Young Conaway attorneys have provided service to the following organizations: American Bankruptcy Institute; American Bar Association; American Board of Trial Advocates; American Civil Liberties Union – Delaware Chapter; American College of Trial Lawyers; Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Delaware; Combined Campaign for Justice; Committee of 100; Community Legal Aid Society; Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project; Court of Chancery Rules Committee; Delaware Law Review; Delaware State Bar Association; Delaware Superior Court; Delaware Supreme Court; Delaware Trial Lawyers Association; Delaware Volunteer Legal Services; Federal Civil Panel; Forum on the Advancement of Court Technology; Inner Circle of Advocates; International Academy of Trial Lawyers; Involuntary Outpatient Commitment Program; Office of the Child Advocate; Pennsylvania Bar Association; Pennsylvania Bar Institute; Trial Lawyers Care; and Tulane Corporate Law Institute.
Additionally, Young Conaway encourages its attorneys to ensure the success of public service organizations through their financial and professional contributions. Each of the firm’s attorneys contributes to the Combined Campaign for Justice, which funds a significant portion of the valuable work of Delaware’s three providers of legal services to low-income people: Community Legal Aid Society, Delaware Volunteer Legal Services and Legal Services Corporation of Delaware. In 2003, Young Conaway received the Christopher J. Battaglia Award given by the United Way (honoring the firm having the highest percentage of attorneys giving charitable contributions to that year's annual campaign).
Pro bono participation is further encouraged through the establishment of firm awards named for two of its founding partners, the William F. Taylor Associate Award, and H. James Conaway, Jr. Partner Award. These annual awards are provided to the associate and partner best exemplifying the firm’s commitment to pro bono service and include a significant donation to the charities chosen by the recipients.
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