Board Member Sandra Hauser Praises NCLEJ, Paul Dodyk in Law360 Interview

Q: What accomplishment as an attorney are you most proud of?

A: I spent my first five years in practice as a staff attorney at a fantastic nonprofit advocacy group, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, where I learned a tremendous amount from exceptionally talented lawyers. Although I joined my law firm in 1996, I have spent much of my time on pro bono matters. As a member of our national pro bono committee I coordinate many of our activities in the New York office and maintain relationships with a number of local nonprofit groups.

As an example, I started a program to train young lawyers to represent women in the family courts (with the nonprofit inMotion), for which I received inMotion’s “Commitment to Justice” award a few years ago. And I continue to train our lawyers to work with me on public assistance matters for clients. My team and I just won significant class certification and summary judgment motions representing plaintiffs, a group of needy Medicaid applicants and recipients in New York City, alongside our co-counsel at the New York Legal Assistance Group. There is nothing more rewarding as an attorney than inspiring newer lawyers to use their substantial talents to help others less fortunate than they are.

Q: Outside your own firm, name one lawyer who’s impressed you and tell us why.

A: Paul Dodyk of Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP. Paul maintained the highest level of practice, but never forgot his roots in legal services for the poor, and kept his pro bono and nonprofit commitments just as close to the top of his priority list. Paul worked tirelessly as chairman of the board of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice to keep the legal community focused on the needs of the poor — and inspired a generation of leaders behind him, including me.

The entire interview can be found here at Law360.com.