The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement, held in alliance with the Library of Congress, announced that Citigroup Inc. has been chosen to obtain the first-ever "Public Interest Award in Law" for exceptional contributions or impact on the public interest. The Burton Awards program is a nonprofit educational effort which honors great achievements in the legal profession. The award will be delivered by Jane Sullivan Roberts, Managing Director, Major, Lindsey & Africa, who oversaw the selection procedure, at the Burton Awards' eleventh anniversary program held at the Library of Congress on June 14, 2010.
Citigroup Inc. was elected for the undertakings of the company's CitiLegal Pro Bono Initiative, a formal program through which Citi lawyers offer pro bono legal services to persons in need and the nonprofit organizations that serve them. The program began in 2006, when Citi lawyers traveled to the Gulf Coast to provide advice on FEMA(Federal Emergency Management Issues) and advocate on behalf of small business owners after Hurricane Katrina. Ever since then, Citigroup has participated in an extensive range of pro bono projects to help out individuals, families and nonprofit organizations. Other activities include offering advice and other legal assistance to low-income parents in family court, dispossessed families applying for government benefits, small entrepreneurs commencing new business ventures, and nonprofit organizations hoping to address business governance, employment, intellectual property as well as other issues.
Michael Helfer,General Counsel of Citigroup stated that there were extremely pleased that the Burton Awards chose to distinguish Citi for its pro bono efforts.At Citi, they believe that offering pro bono service is essential to being a lawyer. He also added that more than a symbol of what Citi has accomplished, this award is a challenge to persist to find better and additional pioneering ways to offer pro bono legal service.
