The Tennessee Bar Association has named Chattanooga attorney Susan Gruber the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year. Gruber is a long-time volunteer with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET)’s Chattanooga Pro Bono Project.
The Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award is given annually to a private sector attorney who has demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to the poor and who has performed significant pro bono work.
The award is named for Harris Gilbert, who served as president of the TBA from 1994 to 1995 and whose dedication to legal services for the poor sets a high standard for all Tennessee attorneys.
Gilbert personally presented the award to Ms. Gruber on Jan. 14 during the TBA’s 2017 Public Service Luncheon in Nashville.
In accepting the award, Gruber spoke of the impact volunteering has had on her.
“Despite the dangers and divisions in our society, volunteering has given me a vantage point to see what I otherwise might have missed – a quiet, steady spirit of generosity in others,” she said. “It has opened my eyes to the generosity of those around me, both in the legal community and among the clients I serve.”
Gruber also thanked her husband and children for their love and support and “for encouraging me to follow my dreams and for challenging me to be the best person I can be.”
“Susan Gruber epitomizes the spirit of generosity she described so eloquently in her acceptance remarks,” said Sheri Fox, LAET executive director. “Susan has dedicated nearly 1,000 of hours of her time, handling cases as varied as foreclosure, bankruptcy, expungement, public benefits, consumer debt, conservatorships, wills, landlord and tenant issues and unemployment – all as a volunteer.
“She takes the tough cases and often has been the difference between justice and injustice for our neighbors who could not afford to hire a lawyer.”
Contact Paige Evatt (423 756-4013) to find out more about the Pro Bono Project.
Source: Legal Aid of East Tennessee