The New Orleans Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section is a great supporter of The Pro Bono Project. This group of up-and-coming lawyers is stepping up to the plate regularly to help The Project achieve its mission. As it turns out, this issue of In Brief is all about the YLS and its unique relationship with The Project.

The Liberty Bell Award, given annually by the YLS, recognizes non-lawyers for their outstanding contributions in encouraging respect for the law and courts.

Norm Rubenstein

On June 11, 2014, The Project's Board member Norm Rubenstein will receive the Liberty Bell Award at noon in Judge Christopher Bruno's courtroom at Civil District Court. Norm serves as our 2nd Vice-Chair, as Co-Chair for the 2014 Justice For All Ball, and as a member and former Chair of the Resource Development Committee (RDC).

Nominated by The Pro Bono Project for this award, Norm is an exemplary role model, who meets the YLS criteria for this award at the highest level:

• upholds the rule of law
• contributes to good government in the community
• stimulates a sense of civic responsibility
• encourages respect for the law and the courts

A trailblazer in legal marketing and currently a partner with the Zeughauser Group, Norm has worked for and with many of the nation's largest and most notable law firms and lawyers. 

He became involved with The Project in 2008 as a way of giving back to his hometown following Katrina and other disasters that affected metro New Orleans. 

Norm served initially as a volunteer, heading up the RDC, and quickly was invited to join the Board.  His commitment to The Project has been recognized on several occasions at the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards event:

• The 2008 Distinguished Donor Award. Norm's financial commitment to The Project lead to the creation of this award
• The 2010 Leadership Award
• Zeughauser Group was named the 2012 Corporate Pro Bono Partner
• Consistently has donated over 100 volunteer hours annually since coming to The Project in 2008

"Norm has time and again shown his commitment to The Project and to the legal industry. His expertise and his willingness to go above and beyond, to support our mission and this community, are evident by the amount of time and financial commitment he makes annually to us. 

"We are delighted by this award and grateful to the Young Lawyers Section for recognizing Norm's leadership within metro New Orleans and the legal community across the country," said Rachel Piercey, The Project's Executive Director and herself a two-time recipient of this award. 

Norm holds a BA and MA from Tulane University and completed his doctoral studies at the University of Virginia. He lives in New Orleans and in Washington, D.C. Read more about Norm at: NORM