GEORGE H. LOWE, ESQ.
 

He was instrumental in raising consciousness and bringing a cohesive plan for pro bono to our county bar association in 1990 as a co-author of the original grant proposal to IOLA, resulting in receipt of seed money to start the Volunteer Lawyers Project. He has been a strong proponent of providing pro bono legal services for the indigent in the Fifth Judicial District.

Along with his more than 11 years serving on the Association’s Pro Bono Practice Committee, Mr. Lowe has retained a strong belief that indigent tenants deserve competent representation when threatened with eviction from their homes. Since March 2001, Mr. Lowe has appeared in Syracuse City Court nearly once a week defending tenants in summary eviction proceedings, providing a total of 55.75 hours of direct representation. In this time period, he handled 96 cases, affecting 292 family members. In many cases, he negotiated settlements that provided tenants with additional time to relocate their families, or allowed the tenants to stay in their homes.

One case in particular illustrates the professional commitment that Mr. Lowe has brought to his pro bono work. A tenant on whose behalf he had negotiated an agreement returned to court the following Monday to report that the landlord had not honored the agreement. Eviction was to occur at 2:30 p.m. that same afternoon. Mr. Lowe visited the City Marshall’s office, where the clerk agreed to look into the situation and get back to him. She called shortly thereafter and said that, absent a court-ordered stay, the eviction would proceed. Mr. Lowe then contacted the judge who had been on the bench when the settlement agreement was reached. The judge advised him that, if he could get an affidavit and proposed order to show cause to him or any other judge, a stay would be considered. After reaching the tenant by phone, he prepared the documents and then met the tenant at 1:15 p.m. to get the affidavit signed. He proceeded to the Marshall’s office to alert them and then immediately moved on to the judges’ chambers where he was able to get the Order to Show Cause signed. Mr. Lowe served it on the Marshall at 1:55 p.m. and successfully averted the eviction.

Mr. Lowe has always put his clients first, providing them with his phone number when it appears that future assistance might be necessary, thus standing behind the settlements he negotiates on behalf of his clients and preserving their dignity throughout the process.

His skill in providing the voice of reason between landlords and tenants who, in many cases, have lost the ability to communicate with each other, is noteworthy in the unruffled way he negotiates an agreeable outcome to both parties.

Mr. Lowe also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Onondaga County Bar Foundation. In that capacity, he has been instrumental in forging an agreement between the Foundation and the Association for the commitment of resources from each to fund the operations of the Volunteer Lawyers Project. Indeed, the structure for future matching support is based on a memorandum now commonly referred to as "the Lowe Proposal." This arrangement has provided a basis for expanding program initiatives, even in the face of declining IOLA funding.

Mr. Lowe remains a role model in the Fifth Judicial District who performs many hours of pro bono work each year. It is the trademark of his leadership style to set an example for lawyers at all levels of professional attainment.

For all of the above reasons, we nominate George Lowe for the Fifth Judicial District’s Presidential Pro Bono Service Award.