Holland & Knight to Receive Street Law’s Excellence in Service Award

Street Law’s 2020 Excellence in Service Award will be presented to Holland & Knight LLP, an international law firm with more than 1,400 attorneys and 28 offices worldwide.

The Excellence in Service Award recognizes the volunteer efforts of companies, law firms, and organizations that provide exceptional community service in the form of a Street Law program. June Marshall, senior counsel at Holland & Knight’s Washington office and a member of Street Law’s Leadership Circle, will accept the award on the firm’s behalf.

“My relationship with Street Law began many years ago when I worked at Street Law as an Intern during law school and continued to volunteer over the years,” says Ms. Marshall. “It is truly an honor for the firm, and a special moment for me personally, that the firm will be recognized for its continued commitment and support to Street Law.”

“The first firm to step up to a significant partnership with us was Holland & Knight, more than 30 years ago,” recalls Lee Arbetman, Street Law’s executive director. Chesterfield Smith, a Holland & Knight founding partner, served as the first chair of Street Law’s national advisory committee, helping the organization succeed and grow in its early days.

“And in no way has Holland & Knight rested on its Street Law laurels,” says Mr. Arbetman. Since 2008, Holland & Knight has partnered with Street Law through the Legal Diversity Pipeline Program. Each year, after receiving training and curricular materials from Street Law, volunteers from Holland & Knight visit local high schools to teach young people about the law and legal careers. This program operates from the firm’s Miami and Washington offices.

Holland & Knight’s Pipeline Program is exceptional for both its longevity and its impact. Over the 13-year course of the program, numerous Holland & Knight employees—including lawyers and other legal professionals—have reached hundreds of high school students with practical legal knowledge and an understanding of how to pursue legal careers.

In addition, Holland & Knight volunteers have gone above and beyond the typical Legal Diversity Pipeline program site’s slate of activities in providing strong mentorship to the students they teach. They have helped students write personal statements for college applications and apply for scholarships, enabling several high school students to receive funding to succeed in pre-law programs at four-year colleges. Students in the program report feeling accepted and that the professionals are invested in their success.

Beyond its work on the Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, Holland & Knight has also generously donated funds and conference space to support Street Law’s Teacher Professional Development Programs. Lawyers at the firm have also lent their expertise to strengthen a section of Street Law’s high school-level law textbook.

In honor of the firm’s exceptional partnership with Street Law and its dedication to the Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, Street Law is proud to present Holland & Knight with the 2020 Excellence in Service Award.

Image: Students from Banneker High School who visited Holland & Knights Washington, D.C.’s office.