Robinson Bradshaw Receives Defenders of Justice Award

Robinson Bradshaw received a 2021 Defenders of Justice Award from the North Carolina Justice Center. The awards celebrate the inspirational work of outstanding leaders in the statewide community who are leading the fight for justice. Robinson Bradshaw is the first private law firm to receive the honor since the Justice Center’s creation of the awards in the 1990s.

Robinson Bradshaw was recognized for its legacy of pursuing litigation work on behalf of pro bono clients. In 2020 alone, 74 firm attorneys completed more than 5,300 hours of pro bono work.

“Robinson Bradshaw’s founders imparted a civic, professional and moral responsibility to address the unmet legal needs of our disadvantaged neighbors and the organizations that assist them,” said Managing Partner Allen K. Robertson. “While these needs have evolved with time, we are proud to continue this vital work and service to our community.”

Two recent examples demonstrate the firm’s longstanding commitment to this important calling and were highlighted by the Justice Center in bestowing the award. Robinson Bradshaw recently partnered with the Justice Center and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy to represent former tenants at Lake Arbor Apartments, an affordable housing community in Charlotte. Robinson Bradshaw attorney Julian H. Wright Jr. led the team that brought a suit against the complex’s owners after they illegally collected rent from the tenants while maintaining squalid conditions that violated city housing code. The team reached a settlement with the owners, securing more than $547,000 in funds that were distributed among more than 100 tenants.

Robinson Bradshaw also successfully litigated the reopening of the deadline for low-income families to apply for Extra Credit Grants, $335 in COVID-19 relief aid meant for parents to offset costs of childcare or remote learning. Led by firm attorney Adam K. Doerr, the suit resulted in more than $5 million in relief aid going to North Carolina’s most vulnerable families.

“Pro bono legal work is a direct, tangible way that only we, as lawyers, can help people in our communities at times when individuals need it the most,” Wright said in his acceptance speech at the award ceremony.

The North Carolina Justice Center is dedicated to transforming North Carolina’s prosperity into opportunity for all. Its mission is to eliminate poverty in North Carolina by ensuring every household in the state has access to the resources, services and fair treatment it needs to achieve economic security. Visit ncjustice.org for more information.