2019 Outstanding Achievement in Pro Bono Award

By Rebecca F. Redwine

Last year marked the fifth year that the Pro Bono Committee of the NCBA Bankruptcy Section presented one of its members with the Outstanding Achievement in Pro Bono Award.  Prior award winners include Ciara Rogers (2015), Jennifer Bennington (2016), Matt Crow (2017), and Michael Martinez (2018). Our committee reviewed several incredible nominations, and narrowed it down to the 2019 recipient, Lance Martin with Ward & Smith in Asheville, NC.

Lance received his JD from Tulane University Law School in 1995. He is a Section member, serves on the Bankruptcy Council and is board certified in Business Bankruptcy. He has worked with Pisgah Legal Services in the Mountain Area Volunteer Lawyers Program as a volunteer attorney since 2011.  Pisgah Legal Services provides free civil legal aid to more than 16,000 people in Western North Carolina each year. Lance was recently honored with their Outstanding Volunteer Lawyer Award. Our congratulations goes to Lance for his dedicated service.

Lance submitted the following comments regarding his receipt of the 2019 Pro Bono Award:

“With sincere gratitude, I thank the North Carolina Bar Association Bankruptcy Section’s Pro Bono Committee for selecting me as the 2019 Pro Bono Award Recipient. As an attorney practicing in Western North Carolina, I want to use my acceptance to highlight the work of Pisgah Legal Services. For over 40 years, Pisgah Legal Services has been providing legal assistance and advocacy for low-income people to meet basic needs–housing, income security, health care, safety from abuse–and to improve their lives. My modest pro bono work pales compared to the countless hours logged by their staff attorneys. I mention them because if you practice in Western North Carolina and you are interested in pro bono work, they are an indispensable resource. They will intake and vet potential clients to determine if they qualify for free legal aid and if they have meritorious claims, gather documents and information for you, and generally assist with the pro bono representation. All of my cases are referred to me by Pisgah Legal. I practiced for many years before I took my first pro bono case, and now I cannot imagine practicing without always having a few active files. There is a critical need for our help, however modest it may be, and I guarantee you will find it as rewarding as anything you do with your law degree. Thank you again.”

The Pro Bono Committee will receive nominations for the 2020 award beginning in August. Third party and self nominations are accepted. We look forward to presenting the award at the 43rd Annual Bankruptcy Institute in Asheville, NC on November 13, 2020.