Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) recently announced Caryn Mitchell-Munevar as this year's Denis Maguire Award recipient. Mitchell-Munevar will be honored during a virtual appreciation event on Tuesday, September 15th for her outstanding pro bono work with VLP.

Mitchell-Munevar is a professor at – and an alumna of – New England Law, where she supervises students in the Clinical Law Office. She is also co-director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Enrichment Program, which welcomes students interested in issues related to race and ethnicity. Prior to joining the New England Law faculty, she was a staff attorney in the Family Law Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services, where she first connected with VLP.

In over 10 years with VLP, Mitchell-Munevar has taken pro bono cases, participated in the Elder Law Project, worked with the Guardianship Clinic, and served as a mentor for other attorneys. She strongly believes that volunteering time and taking pro bono cases is an important aspect of being a lawyer.

"Being a lawyer is a privilege, and with that privilege comes responsibility," said Mitchell-Munevar. "We owe it to any marginalized communities and indigent individuals to ensure that the justice system works for them."

Volunteer Lawyers Project provides equal access to legal services for the people of Greater Boston. In regards to the Denis Maguire Award, Pro Bono Manager Miranda Black said, "our staff nominates volunteers who have been reliable, committed, and show a passion for pro bono work." Mitchell-Munevar is one of four recipients this year, alongside attorneys Samuel Bombaugh, Ryan Rosenblatt, and Joel Gardiner.

"To receive this recognition is incredibly humbling," said Mitchell-Munevar. "It feels especially good because I don't do this work for recognition; I do it because I always wanted to represent individuals and families who are similar to the community that I grew up in, and working with VLP allows me to do that."

For more information, visit www.vlpnet.org, www.nesl.edu.

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