New York Center for Law and Justice Presents Access to Justice Award to Ropes & Gray Team

Litigation & enforcement partner Chris Conniff and a Ropes & Gray team were presented with the New York Center for Law and Justice Access to Justice Award during this year’s eighth Annual Benefit on Dec. 10. The award honors community leaders committed to improving the lives of deaf, indigent and hard of hearing New Yorkers. On the right, Chris is pictured with Bruce Gitlin, founder and executive director of the New York Center for Law and Justice.

Past recipients of the Access to Justice Award have represented clients in legal matters, lobbied for hearing-related policy changes, raised awareness surrounding deaf and hard of hearing issues, and have provided leadership in matters surrounding access to justice.

The team was honored for their pro bono work on Aranow et al. v. City of New York, in which Ropes & Gray represents a number of deaf New Yorkers who have been denied proper accommodations by the Human Resources Administration of New York in an ongoing case. The administration, which provides benefits including housing assistance, financial assistance and Medicaid, denied those in need access to adequate medical and educational accommodations, such as ASL interpreters.

The Ropes & Gray team is led by Mr. Conniff and includes associates Roy Dixon and Deanna Minasi.