Every year, the Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California recognizes a volunteer who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in donating his or her time and efforts to assist the clients of our program. The June Black Pro Bono Award is named in honor of VLSP's founding Pro Bono Program Coordinator who spent 17 years developing the provision of free legal services to indigent clients at VLSP. During her years of service at VLSP, many members of the Sacramento legal community came to know and admire June for her commitment to seeking justice for indigent individuals. VLSP is proud to name Danny Moore as the recipient of the June Black Pro Bono Award for 2005.

Moore was presented the award at the Sacramento County Bar Association's Law Day event, which was held May 2, 2005 at the Firehouse in Old Sacramento.

Moore received his undergraduate degree from Southern Oregon State College in Ashland, Oregon, and received his JD from Western State University. He became a member of the California Bar in 1977. For about five years, Moore practiced with small firms in Orange County. In 1982 he joined the law firm of Jacoby and Meyers, eventually becoming a partner and practicing in the areas of family law, probate and bankruptcy. In 1994, Moore opened his own solo practice, which he continues to operate today in the areas of bankruptcy and probate law.

Danny Moore joined the Voluntary Legal Services Program in 2002, and signed up to assist with our Debt Collection Defense Clinic and our Probate Section Assistance Clinic. In 2003, VLSP started a Bankruptcy Clinic, at which Moore immediately started volunteering. He has rarely missed a Bankruptcy Clinic since then. In 2004 alone, between the Bankruptcy and Probate Clinics, Moore volunteered over 100 hours of his time to assisting over 100 of VLSP's indigent clients. Whenever VLSP has been short a volunteer for our Bankruptcy Clinic, Moore has willingly stepped in and helped us out.

In addition to work at the clinics, he has made himself available to our staff for any questions we might have and he has gone out of his way to meet with clients who are in need. Moore has gone above and beyond what VLSP would expect from any volunteer, including meeting with a client on the Friday night before Christmas, just to make sure that the client's bankruptcy petition could be filed immediately and avoid further creditor harassment during the holiday season. We could not provide the services that we do without the dedication of volunteers like Danny Moore. He is a great example of the good that an attorney can do through pro bono efforts. VLSP is honored to present him with the 2005 June Black Pro Bono Award.

If you would like to volunteer for the Debt Collection Defense or Bankruptcy Clinics, please feel free to contact our Staff Attorney, Alysa Meyer, at (916)551-2106 or via email at ameyer@vlsp.org. If you would like to volunteer for the Probate Section Assistance Clinic, please contact our Assistant Program Manager for Administrative Services, Denise Carroll, at (916)551-2153 or ccarroll@vlsp.org. For more information about our program or to fill out an online volunteer application, please visit our website at www.vlsp.org.

July / August 2005