Sanctuary for Families Honors Cahill Lawyers with 2018 Above & Beyond Pro Bono Achievement Award
Date: 09/19/18
Cahill lawyers Joel Kurtzberg, Kerry Burns and Kathleen Farley will receive Sanctuary for Families' 2018 Above & Beyond Pro Bono Achievement Award at the annual benefit held on November 13, 2018. These lawyers were recognized for going “above and beyond” by providing outstanding pro bono representation and advocacy on behalf of victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking.
Through the team’s efforts, Cahill prevailed on behalf of our client in a family offense appeal in the First Department, Appellate Division. The appeal concerned whether the Family Court erred when it declined to award Cahill’s client, the petitioner, a five-year order of protection based on the court’s failure to find the presence of aggravating circumstances. The First Department reversed, and held that aggravating circumstances were present because the facts supported a finding of third-degree assault which caused the petitioner to suffer substantial physical injury, regardless of how many years had passed since the assault occurred. Accordingly, the First Department extended petitioner’s order of protection from two years to five years.
Through a pro bono partnership that began in 1997, Cahill lawyers work with Sanctuary for Families to provide legal advocacy for domestic violence victims seeking protective orders in Family Court, legal counseling to immigrant domestic violence victims seeking permanent resident status or citizenship, and provide legal advice to victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking in matters outside of litigation. Sanctuary for Families is New York’s leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender violence.