Law Job Star
Manisha Bhatt Named Winner of Brooks Award By Teresa Cajot The Boston Bar Association has announced that this year’s John G. Brooks Legal Services Award will be presented to Manisha Bhatt, a senior attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services. The award was established in 1988 to recognize dedicated career public services attorneys.
Greater Boston Legal Services is staffed by attorneys and paralegals who provide non-criminal ‘’legal services to low income individuals in’’ a number of areas including immigration, employment, family, health, foreclosure, and welfare. Bhatt works in the family unit, where she represents victims of domestic violence in divorce, abuse prevention, and other matters. However, Bhatt’s devotion to public service does not end there. She is also the co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Boston Bar Association’s Litigation Section and a former member of the prestigious Boston Bar Association’s Public Interest Leadership Program. She was also largely responsible for the development of the ‘’Know Your Rights Program,’’ of the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston (SABA). The KYR Program was created as a means of informing members of the South Asian community of their legal rights, while also establishing personal and professional networking opportunities. This summer, the program received the 2011 Outstanding Program Award at the North American South Asian Bar Association Annual Convention in Los Angeles. In addition to her other commitments, Bhatt also serves on the Board of Editors for the Boston Bar Association’s Boston Bar Journal. In 2007, she was named Board Member of the
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Year by the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston (SABA GB). Two years later, Bhatt was presented with the North American South Asian Bar Association Cornerstone Award, which serves to honor those who provide legal assistance to the South Asian community while also encouraging members of the community to become involved in both the legal profession and government. Bhatt attended Suffolk University Law School after graduating from Boston College in 1995. She was born and raised in Massachusetts and is fluent in Spanish and the South Asian dialect, Gujarati. Lisa C. Goodheart, President of the Boston Bar Association, will present the award to Bhatt at the annual meeting luncheon on October 13, 2011. The award is named after John Graham Brooks, a former Boston Bar Association President and Legal Services Corporation board member who advocated for legal services for the underprivileged. The Boston Bar Association is a non-profit organization with a membership of 10,000 attorneys ‘’from private practice, corporations, government agencies, legal aid organizations, the courts, and law schools.’’
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