| On Thursday, June 9th, 2005, we suffered the tragic, untimely loss of Elizabeth Kasulis Padilla. Always an active person, Liz was riding her bicycle to work when she was killed in a road accident. Her absence continues to weigh heavily on those who knew and loved her, yet she continues to inspire us through her legacy of fun, generosity, and kindness.
Liz, a graduate of Cornell Law School, joined the Volunteer Lawyers Project as a Pro Bono Coordinator/Staff Attorney in December 2004. She immediately focused her extraordinary talents and abundant energy on providing direct representation and counsel to clients with family law issues, as well as the challenging task of coordinating the efforts of the Project’s volunteer attorneys, making certain all eligible clients received appropriate representation in family law, bankruptcy, elder law and housing matters. Her fluency in Spanish was a great source of comfort to many of the Project’s clients. Liz was an active participant in the Project’s Senior Legal Education and Assistance Program (LEAP), visiting many of the senior centers herself. She brought the Project a new program for secondary schools called We The Jury, created by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Liz approached each day with excitement and eagerness, looking for something new to try, somewhere new to go, or someone new to meet. In her free time, Liz could be found at trapeze school, in a pottery class, running the New York City marathon with disabled athletes, swimming, cycling, playing soccer, tutoring, and more. She loved laughter, and, more than anything, loved sharing her good times with others and helping the people around her.
About the Volunteer Lawyers Project:
The mission of the Volunteer Lawyers Project is to ensure that the legal system is accessible to those who because of special needs or the overwhelming burdens of poverty would not otherwise have their rights protected or their voices heard. Since 1990 attorneys from the private bar have provided critical pro bono assistance through the VLP to over 16,000 individuals and families from Brooklyn's poorest neighborhoods. The goal of each VLP volunteer attorney is to use the legal system to help people regain dignity and control over their lives.
The VLP, an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit, was originally funded under the auspices of the Brooklyn Bar Association through a demonstration grant from the New York State IOLA Fund and the New York Bar Foundation. It continues to receive funding from IOLA and NYBF, as well as contributions from private foundations and individual donors.
For more information, please call us at 718-624-3894 or E-mail: info@brooklynvlp.org. |
