NEW YORK, January 19, 2021 – Proskauer, a leading international law firm, today announced that William C. Silverman, the firm's Pro Bono Partner, has been elected as Chair of The Fund for Modern Courts' Board of Directors.
Bill has been a member of Modern Courts since 2008 and past Chairs include former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.
The Fund for Modern Courts is a non-profit organization dedicated to judicial reform in New York State. Most recently the group was successful in advocating for increased resources for the Family Court, including 25 additional Family Court Judges, a specific area of interest to Bill. He is the former Chair of Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT), an organization that helps approximately 30,000 unrepresented litigants per year in Family Court.
"Proskauer lawyers have a long history of supporting The Fund for Modern Courts. In addition to Bill, our partners Betsy Plevan and Michael Cardozo also sit on the Board. Bill has dedicated a large portion of his career to pro bono service and giving back to the community. I am delighted that he has been elected to take on this important leadership role," said Daryn Grossman, Managing Partner of Proskauer.
"Modern Courts, which is dedicated to equal access to justice through improving New York's court system, combating systemic racism, and securing a strong and independent judiciary, has never been more important," said Bill Silverman.
Proskauer is one of a few firms who has designated a Partner to be responsible for leading its global pro bono efforts on a full-time basis. For over 140 years, the Firm has had an unwavering commitment to our communities through our support of public service initiatives that enable its lawyers, and staff, to make a broad impact through a variety of community oriented projects.
In the past year, Firm lawyers have dedicated over 40,000 pro bono hours to racial justice issues. In addition, over 370 lawyers and staff participated in Election Protection efforts in November, marking our 14th year collaborating with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to help ensure that every eligible voter has an equal opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
Bill, a litigator and trial lawyer, brings significant private and public sector experience to his role as Pro Bono Partner. Prior to joining Proskauer, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. His past experience includes working on government investigations and white collar criminal matters, as well as complex civil litigation in federal and state courts.
About Proskauer for Good
At Proskauer, "for good" means giving of ourselves and making a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate.
Our pro bono work breaks boundaries. From high-impact litigation and complex transactions for nonprofit organizations, to matters for low-income individuals seeking equal access to justice – we are committed to driving businesses as well as society, forward.