August 5, 2021 – Practising Law Institute (PLI), a leader in continuing education for the legal community, has been honored as the 2021 recipient of the Steven Leleiko Memorial Award for Professional Excellence, in the Public Interest category, from the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA).
PLI Wins ACLEA "Best" Award for Public Interest Efforts
ACLEA presented the award at its annual meeting, held virtually on July 25, 2021. The organization, comprised of professionals in legal education in the United States, Canada, and other countries, presents its "Best" Awards to leaders in the eld each year through a highly competitive selection process.
ACLEA's Public Interest category award recognizes "outstanding commitment to the public interest as evidenced through one or more of the following activities: programs, publications, scholarships, or other related activities that support the public interest and/or provision of legal services to historically marginalized and underrepresented populations." The award is named in honor of Steven Leleiko, who was a Vice President at PLI at the time of his death in 2008 and served the organization for 25 years in executive roles. Deeply committed to the education of lawyers and a champion of pro bono, Leleiko devoted his career to helping the legal profession access resources to grow their skills and help underserved pro bono clients.
A nonprofit organization that has been the premier provider of continuing legal education programs, publications, and other resources for more than eighty years, PLI demonstrates its commitment to the public interest through a robust pro bono initiative. In addition to hundreds of hours of timely programs on pro bono skills and topics, PLI offers scholarships and Pro Bono Memberships for organizations and individuals.
"Pro bono is at the heart of PLI's mission, and we're proud to be honored for our dedication to providing essential resources to the legal community to ensure access to justice for all," says Kara O'Brien, Vice President, Programs. "It's especially meaningful to be recognized for our efforts over the past year, which brought an increased need for pro bono legal services due to the COVID-19pandemic, as well as greater interest in our racial justice and other civil rights-related resources. She adds: "Above all, we are deeply proud to carry on Steve Leleiko's legacy and accept this award with gratitude for his many contributions to PLI."
About Practising Law Institute (PLI) Practising Law Institute is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI is chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, and was founded in 1933 by Harold P. Seligson. PLI provides the highest quality, accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs in a variety of formats. This content is delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty, including prominent lawyers, judges, investment bankers, accountants, corporate counsel, and U.S. and international government regulators. PLI publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks, answer books and journals, also available through the PLI PLUS online platform. The essence of PLI's mission is its commitment to the pro bono community.