ATLANTA (January 14) -LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – Kilpatrick Stockton announced today that it has been honored by the National Law Journal with a prestigious 2008 National Law Journal Pro Bono Award. Only four firms were awarded nationally. The firm was recognized for its work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (National Center). In a recent feature article in the National Law Journal, Kilpatrick Stockton was acknowledged for its advocacy for the low income clients represented and the comprehensive training manual the firm wrote for the National Center, which gives all attorneys in the U.S. who represent these clients a road map to follow.
“This honor is shared by the many Kilpatrick Stockton attorneys, paralegals and staff who have worked so diligently on these cases and in creating the comprehensive manual,” said Kilpatrick Stockton Pro Bono Partner Debbie Segal. “We look forward to continuing to work with the National Center on cases that make such an impact on the life of a child and his or her family.”
While the firm continues to provide valuable work in its signature pro bono programs of Grandparent Adoptions, Security Deposit litigation, non-profit representation, Katrina recovery work and representing individuals in need through numerous legal aid entities, Kilpatrick Stockton has quietly filled a void in the legal system with its pro bono representation of families in the international abduction of children; children taken primarily by a non-custodial parent or other family member.
In the past five years, the firm has provided or is currently providing representation to 26 families to help return abducted children to their homes. To date, the firm’s work has resulted in the return of 16 children to Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Mexico and Panama and the settlement of other access cases. In the past five years, Kilpatrick Stockton attorneys have provided over 5,500 hours of pro bono work valued at $1.5 million and have spent approximately $130,000-$150,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.
This past Fall, following a two-year project of researching and writing, led by partner Lee Mann and associate Chad Theriot, Kilpatrick Stockton and the National Center took another step in this innovative program and launched the first comprehensive training manual for litigating international child abduction cases under the Hague Convention. The manual is designed to guide attorneys nationwide through the legal, procedural and logistical steps necessary to effectively return a child to his or her home country or to provide the left-behind parent with access to the child.
In the manual, available on line and downloadable free of charge, every case and citation is hyperlinked with permission of Westlaw, enabling the user to get to the precedential authorities with just a click. Kilpatrick Stockton also produced and donated to the National Center 500 CDs, all with the cases and supporting material included. Finally, both Kilpatrick Stockton and the National Center printed a small supply of hard copies of the manual. Since its launch, thousands of attorneys have downloaded the manual. The National Center handles an average of 1,800 international family abduction cases each year.
To view the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children /Kilpatrick Stockton Manual, please go to:
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=604
About Kilpatrick Stockton
Kilpatrick Stockton, with over 500 attorneys in nine offices across the globe, is a nationally-recognized leader in providing pro bono. In 2006, the firm provided over 30,000 hours of pro bono work valued at $9 million — ranking the firm 21st among the AmLaw 100 and 5th in the percentage of attorneys providing over 20 hours of pro bono a year. Kilpatrick Stockton has been recognized for numerous awards for its work in pro bono this year and in previous years. For more, please go to www.kilpatrickstockton.com .
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