December 6, 2006, Manchester, NH— The law firm of McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, Professional Association is proud to recognize attorney Jeremy Walker with the second annual Jack B. Middleton Pro Bono Legal Services Award for his outstanding commitment to serving New Hampshire’s poor and underprivileged citizens.
McLane, New Hampshire’s largest full-service law firm, created the award in support of its efforts to help ensure that all New Hampshire citizens, regardless of resources, have access to the justice system. Since the firm’s inception over eighty-five years ago, McLane has been a consistent leader in supporting the state’s most vulnerable residents.
“Providing legal services to the poor has been a hallmark of McLane’s culture,” said Steven Camerino, an energy and public utilities law attorney who serves as chair of the firm’s management committee. “We have always had great role models at the firm, and wanted to find a way to emphasize our commitment to pro bono service. We created this award to encourage current and future McLane attorneys to continue to advance the firm’s efforts to provide service to the public regardless of a client’s financial means.”
In presenting the award, Camerino noted that “Jeremy is someone who leads by example, not with mere words.” “He, like Jack Middleton, demonstrates that all attorneys—directors and associates alike—should and can contribute their time on a pro bono basis to help New Hampshire’s poor,” he added. Last year’s recipient of the award, Margaret Kerouac, joined Camerino and Middleton in presenting the award to Walker.
Middleton, a senior partner was the first lawyer in private practice to be honored by the New Hampshire Bar Foundation with the Frank Rowe Kenison award for his exemplary work and substantial contributions to the betterment of New Hampshire’s citizens. An esteemed trial lawyer for fifty years, Middleton has also given tirelessly to a number of civic organizations, including holding board positions with the United Way, the Mt. Washington Observatory and New Hampshire Public Television.
Middleton was also among the pioneers of the IOLTA (“Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts”) program in New Hampshire. Under IOLTA, interest earned on certain funds held by attorneys are used by the New Hampshire Bar Foundation to fund legal services for the poor.
“Over the years, Jack has spent countless hours in service to those most in need,” Camerino said. “He embodies the best of what those in our profession should aspire to be, and we are very proud to have other McLane lawyers like Jeremy following in his footsteps.”
Mr. Walker, who focuses his practice in business litigation and intellectual property, was selected unanimously by the selection committee, in particular for having consistently met the firm’s pro bono service goal since his admission to the bar in 1996.
“Jeremy recently spent 85 hours this year alone representing a client in a pro bono custody case that presented many difficult issues, issues that he handled with grace and skill,” said Camerino.
In addition to working directly for pro bono clients, Walker also serves on the NH Bar Association’s Delivery of Legal Services Committee, spending many hours helping to oversee the operation of the pro bono referral system in New Hampshire.
About the McLane Law Firm
Founded in 1919, the McLane Law Firm is the largest full-service law firm in the state of New Hampshire, with offices in Manchester, Concord and Portsmouth. Driven by the firm’s depth of sophisticated legal expertise and an unwavering commitment to client service, McLane has built collaborative and lasting relationships with a broad spectrum of domestic and international clients.