Third year Anthony Abou Ezzi has been awarded this year’s AT&T Excellence in Pro Bono Legal Services award, a scholarship that is combined with an internship in the Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL).
Abou Ezzi says he was inspired to become involved with pro bono legal representation by attorney Howard Rosenblum, who is now CEO of the National Association of the Deaf. “Howard served as an inspiration and mentor during the crucial stages of my legal education,” said Abou Ezzi.
He has been working at the center throughout the semester and is committed to contributing 140 hours of volunteer services.
“It’s going great. My coworkers are incredible and motivational,” said Abou Ezzi, who explained that he has worked extensively on issues ranging from consumer fraud to guardianship. He conducts intake interviews and helps clients with such documents as Power of Attorney for Health Care, and Property and Living Will Declarations. He’s also learning a great deal about the operations of the Daley Center, where he formerly served as a Legal Extern for Judge William J. Haddad in the Law Division.
John J. Reidy (JD ’91), attorney at AT&T Chicago, said his company has been pleased with the partnership between AT&T, John Marshall and CDEL.
“We were very happy to award Mr. Abou Ezzi—who distinguished himself among several very excellent candidates—the opportunity to experience CDEL’s programs this semester,” he said, adding that the scholarship program is aimed at helping students pursue careers in public interest law by “giving them real-world experience and the opportunity to observe attorneys providing pro bono legal services first-hand while still in law school.”
Reidy said AT&T is committed to supporting pro bono and public interest legal services and encourages young lawyers to do so by awarding such scholarships at JMLS, the Northwestern University Law School in Chicago, Southern Methodist University Law School in Dallas and the Rutgers University Law School in Camden, N.J.