The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is seeking nominations for the Outstanding Medical-Legal Partnership Pro Bono Advocacy Award. 

Volunteer attorneys, law firms and corporate law departments have enhanced the lives of individuals and families by developing, supporting and participating in medical-legal partnerships (MLP), an innovative legal services delivery model that improves the lives of patients and builds healthier communities.

To recognize the critical role pro bono partners play in expanding the value of MLPs across the country, the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service established the Outstanding Medical-Legal Partnership Pro Bono Advocacy Award.  The award is presented at the  Medical-Legal Partnership Summit.

Qualified recipients include individual volunteer lawyers, law firms and corporate law departments working with an existing MLP site or a MLP site that is in development.  Bar associations, legal aid pro bono projects, law schools, and other institutions in the legal profession whose members have collectively made an outstanding contribution toward one or more of the criteria are also eligible.

Qualified recipients must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of free legal services to persons of limited means or low income communities in partnership with a hospital/health center MLP site.
• Contributed substantial work toward developing innovative approaches to improve the health and well-being of low-income individual and/or communities working in collaboration with a MLP site.
• Participated or coordinated MLP activities that resulted in satisfying previously unmet needs or in extending services to patients of hospitals and health centers.
• Successfully litigated MLP pro bono cases that favorably affected the provision of other services to improve the health and well-being of persons of limited means or low income communities.
• Developed local, statewide, regional or national technical assistance projects to aid in the development and expansion of MLP sites and the national MLP community.
• Provided coordination or support for a successful MLP systemic advocacy project.
• Contributed substantial work towards a MLP pro bono project that resulted in legal or health institution practice transformation.
• Advanced the mission of the national medical-legal partnership community.

Nominations may be submitted for Individuals or Organizations.

Nominations are due by August 23, 2019.