Annual Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service Announced

Raleigh, N.C. – On April 15, 2015, Wake Forest University School of Law announced the recipient of its annual Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service. The award was presented to Hannah Nicholes, a Wake Forest Law 3L year student who best exemplified the pro humanitate spirit.

From her first semester as a law student, Hannah began volunteering for Legal Aid of North Carolina and developed a passion for advocating on behalf of those who would otherwise be denied justice.

“I loved that I was able to take the resources and education which I have been given, and use them to help someone who’s life was not as easy as mine,” said Hannah Nicholes. “I loved that I was righting the imbalance often left by the law; an imbalance created when only the educated and wealthy have the tools to use the legal system to their advantage …”

At Smith Anderson’s core, we are dedicated to maintaining a culture of pro bono service in our community,” said Gerald Roach, a Partner at Smith Anderson and alumnus of WFU Law. “Each year, our lawyers devote thousands of pro bono hours to a full range of causes. The Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service is an opportunity to support and encourage rising lawyers who demonstrate this same commitment.”

About the Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service

The Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service is presented to an outstanding Wake Forest University law graduate who is a Pro Bono Honor Society member. The recipient must have provided 100 or more pro bono service hours within three years or 75 hours or more within one year and exhibit passion, creativity, dedication and commitment to serving those in need. The pro bono service must have resulted in a demonstrated impact on increasing access to legal information to the underserved population. For more information on the Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service, contact Professor Beth Hopkins, hopkinmn@wfu.edu.

About Smith Anderson’s Commitment to Pro Bono Service

A steadfast commitment to Pro Bono service has been a hallmark of Smith Anderson since our founding over 100 years ago. Many of our lawyers volunteer their time to support a full range of causes in the community, as well as to causes that promote the administration of justice. In addition, the Firm’s Smith Anderson Community Fund, directed by a diverse committee of lawyers and staff, provides financial support to local organizations that help people meet their most basic needs. For more information on Smith Anderson’s commitment to community service, please visit www.SmithLaw.com/Community.