On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, in a ceremony held in the rotunda of New York County Surrogate’s Court, the New York County Lawyers’ Association (NYCLA) honored four firm attorneys for their achievements in connection with their pro bono representations.

Sara Arrow was recognized for her work on the Veterans Discharge Upgrade Project. Sara’s client was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2011 after nearly three years of admirable service . He suffered from undiagnosed PTSD, which impacted his ability to serve and had not been considered at the time of discharge. Sara remained steadfast in her advocacy over eight years, culminating in an appearance before the Naval Discharge Review Board. In December 2023, Sara received a favorable decision, upgrading her client’s discharge to fully honorable and enabling him to access additional benefits through the V.A.

Megha Hoon was recognized for her work on NYCLA’s Civil Appeals Pilot Project. Megha’s client petitioned to remain in his father’s apartment, where he had been living for many years, but was denied because of outstanding rent resulting from an administrative error during the COVID-19 pandemic. Megha prepared a petition and advocated on her client’s behalf for public assistance and social security benefits from the NYC Human Resources Administration and the Social Security Administration. Megha secured a favorable settlement and access to benefits that allowed her client to pay off his rental arrears and stay in the apartment long term.

Julia Long was recognized for her work on NYCLA’s Access-A-Ride program. Julia first represented her client in a 2022 appeal of the denial of AAR services, resulting in the approval of full benefits for one year and a strong relationship with the client. Following the expiration of that term, the client sought assistance appealing his conditional eligibility. Julia briefed the appeal in February 2024 and represented her client in a hearing in June. Following the hearing, the NYC Transit Authority ruled that her client was “conditionally eligible” for AAR benefits for the next five years, securing services for the vast majority of his needs for a substantial amount of time.

Erika Birk was recognized for her work on the Parole Prep project. Erika’s client spent 28 years incarcerated while suffering from severe multiple sclerosis. He was previously denied parole on ten separate occasions. Erika filed an appeal on behalf of her client, and the Appeals Unit found that the Parole Commissioners had incorrectly identified her client’s history of violence risk assessment score to be medium, when it was actually low. Our client was granted a de novo interview before a new set of Commissioners, and Patterson Belknap continues to advocate for his parole release.