Speakers: Jeremy Rosen, Partner , Horvitz & Levy LLP
Horvitz & Levy LLP
for their more than 3000 hours of pro bono support of survivors
What inspired you to get involved with FVAP?
Jeremy Rosen: I've always believed it's important for lawyers to do pro bono work and to give back to the community. And quite a number of years ago, I was introduced to the Family Violence Appellate Project and when I first heard about it, I said, wow, this is an organization that is really doing important work, helping incredibly vulnerable individuals who have really suffered, and have then been treated oftentimes poorly by the judicial system and I wanted to help. And my firm has been incredibly supportive and we've had many, many of our lawyers have worked on these FVAP matters. We're just really proud of, you know, the good work we've been able to do and the people we've been able to help.
Why is FVAP's work important to you?
Jeremy Rosen: Each time we get a new appeal to evaluate and to take part in, or each time I've been asked to participate as a moot court judge helping other lawyers prepare for oral argument, there's a story, and it's usually a really tragic story about someone who's been abused, and oftentimes further abused by the judicial system that has not recognized their need for protection under the law. Each time I learn a new story, it just reaffirms the commitment I have to working for the Family Violence Appellate Project and to doing what I can to try to help make it so that there are fewer bad stories in the future, and that we can do a little bit of good in the world.
What does this award mean to you?
Jeremy Rosen: You know, awards like this are really unnecessary in the sense that I don't think anyone who volunteers for Family Violence Appellate Project or any important pro bono work is doing it for the recognition. To me, the real recognition was, you know, every time I now work on a brief for the Family Violence Appellate Project for one of our mutual clients, and I get to cite a prior decision that I helped in some way win, it really makes me grateful that we've been able with our partnership with Family Violence Appellate Project to not only help the clients that we've been tasked with helping, but also to make published case law that benefits scores of other people into the future. And to me, that's the real recognition and award. What's happening tonight, it's a great honor, and we're very privileged to be here to accept the award, but I would just encourage everyone to keep donating your time to the Family Violence Appellate Project because it does more good work with a smaller staff than pretty much any nonprofit that I'm aware of.
