Attorneys are nominated for each judicial district in the state. For the Fifth Judicial District, including Onondaga County, George H. Lowe, a partner in the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, LLP, was honored as the Attorney Award recipient for his dedication to representing people of low income and for his special efforts to expand the bar association’s pro bono program.

On a statewide level, M. Akram Faizer, an associate at Mackenzie Hughes, LLP, was awarded the Hanna Cohn Young Lawyers Award for his commitment to helping keep families together through retention of housing and also acting as a neighborhood link to the legal community as a participant in the bar association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project. This honor is awarded to an attorney who has practiced less than ten years.

Also on a statewide level, the law firm of Hancock & Estabrook, LLP, received the Small-to-Mid-Sized Firm Award for its support of various clinical pro bono programs sponsored by the bar association and for independent pro bono representation of low-income clients and non-profit organizations in the county.

Awards were presented at a recognition ceremony at the NYSBA offices in Albany as an integral segment of Law Day festivities. Law Day is celebrated on May 1 throughout the United States and is intended to educate the public and celebrate the American justice system.

OCBA recognized the award recipients locally at a reception on May 17 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in Room 400 at the County Courthouse, at which New York State Assemblyman William B. Magnarelli presented Resolutions from the State Assembly and expressed his pride in his colleagues for their pro bono contributions to Onondaga County.