NEIL HAIGHT PRO BONO AWARD This memorial award is named in honor of Neil Haight, the Executive Director of Montana Legal Services Association for more than 30 years. Through Neil’s leadership, MLSA survived numerous attacks during his many years at its helm. His effort left a solid foundation which eventually led to the current MLSA structure as a statewide law fi rm. Neil’s optimism carried MLSA staff through the darkest years when many thought all hope of civil legal assistance to the poor was lost. Despite numerous and endless attacks, Neil never lost faith in the vision and goal of MLSA. After his retirement in 2002, Neil remained the icon of MLSA until his death in 2008. His passion for justice and his compassion for Montanans living in poverty was a model many lawyers, both within and outside MLSA, in those early years of “legal aid” in Montana. The Neil Haight Pro bono Award recognizes a person who exemplifies Neil’s legacy of providing outstanding legal services to Montanans living in poverty. The nominee is a lawyer, other individual or organization which has provided pro bono services to Montanans in need. While the nominee may be a lawyer who has provided direct pro bono legal representation, he or she may also be a court employee, paralegal, psychologist, or social worker who has provided pro bono services in aid of direct pro bono legal representation in Montana. Nominations are also accepted for law firms, teams of lawyers, and associations of Montana lawyers and pro bono programs receiving no form of compensation or academic credit for doing pro bono work and whose work was not a non-legal public service. Attorney nominees must be admitted to practice in Montana. Nominees cannot be employees of organizations which provide free or low-cost services to the poor. The Neil Haight Pro bono Award is conferred periodically after review of all nominations, by the State Bar Justice Initiatives Committee. Individual or organizations which submit the nomination may submit more than one nominee.

Nomination Requirements 1. Complete and submit the Pro bono

nomination form.2. Provide nominee’s resume or biography

which includes a history and contributions tothe delivery of pro bono legal services.

3. In additional pages, provide award criteriadescription, letters of support or publicationswhich provide specific examples of nominee’scontributions for any of the following thatmight apply:

a. be a dedicated, committed leader instrumentalin the delivery of civil legal services to Montanansliving in poverty; or

b. be a key person in the development of a probono program for a bar association or communityorganization; or

c. contribute significant work toward creatingnew and innovative approaches to delivery ofvolunteer civil legal assistance through a new orexisting pro bono program sponsored by a barassociation; or

d. perform significant and meaningful civil probono activity which resulted in satisfyingpreviously unmet needs or extending services tounderserved segments of the population; and/or

e. Successfully litigated pro bono civil cases whichfavorably resulted in the provision of otherservices to Montanans living in poverty.

Deadline and Timetable

Nominations for the 2019 Neil Haight Pro Bono Award are due by June 17, 2019. Complete the attached Nomination Form or visit www.montanabar.org for additional information or to download materials.

The Award Selection Committee will select recipient(s) in July. All nominators and recipient(s) will be notified about the status of nominations as soon as possible after selections are made.

The Neil Haight Pro Bono Award will be presented at the 2019 State Bar of Montana Annual Meeting Awards Banquet held in Billings September of 2019.

Neil Haight Pro Bono Award Nomination Form Email Nomination Form and Materials by June 17, 2019 to:

Ann Goldes-Sheehan, Equal Justice Coordinator State Bar of Montana

agoldes@montanabar.org

Full Name of Nominee: _________________________________________________________

Nominee Address: _____________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________

Telephone: ___________________ Email: _________________________________________

In separate attachment(s), please provide specific descriptions of significant pro bono contributions of

your nominee which can include letters of support, publications and specific examples of nominee’s

contributions for any of the criteria outlined that might apply. See nomination requirements for details.

Also provide your nominee’s resume or biography. Do not provide client names or confidential

information.

Please mark all that apply and describe any attachments provided:

Description of nominee’s pro bono activities and contributions.

Number of description pages attached: __________

Letters in support of nomination.

Number of letters of support attached: __________

Articles or publications concerning your nominee’s contributions.

Number articles or publications attached: __________

Have you included your nominee’s biography or resume?

Yes No

Names of person/organization submitting this nomination:

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip:_________________________________________________________________

Phone: _____________________ Email: ____________________________________________