Joel Kurtzberg Named to New York Law Journal’s Lawyers Who Lead by Example List
Date: 09/20/16
Joel Kurtzberg has been named one of the New York Law Journal's “Lawyers Who Lead by Example” in 2016. Joel has been honored in the Pro Bono category for “an outstanding record of providing crucial legal services to poor or nearly poor New Yorkers.”
Joel has an active pro bono practice, especially on behalf of Sanctuary for Families, where he serves on its Legal Advisory Committee. Under Joel's leadership, many Cahill associates have represented pro bono clients through Sanctuary for Families, New York's leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender violence. Earlier this year, Joel was honored at the Sanctuary for Families Pillars of Change event as one of five outstanding volunteers working with victims of domestic violence. Joel also recently prevailed in a pro bono lawsuit on behalf of Debra Fisher, a public school occupational therapist, who was unlawfully suspended for 30 days without pay on charges of “theft of services,” after helping a student with cerebral palsy create a school-approved Kickstarter campaign. After an independent inquiry found the investigation flawed, the Department of Education rescinded her suspension and agreed to pay her salary for the suspension period. Additionally, the DOE is overhauling the investigative arm of its disciplinary branch and systematically changing the procedures that produced the flawed charges against Fisher.
Joel is a member of Cahill's Litigation practice group. He was named by the National Law Journal to its 2015 list of "Litigation Trailblazer" attorneys, which recognizes fifty of the top legal professionals in the United States who have changed the practice of litigation through the use of innovative legal strategies.
New York Law Journal's Lawyers Who Lead by Example (pdf | 565.68 KB )