NYSBA Pro Bono Award Winner Kim Zinke
Kim L. Zinke, Esq., an exceptional pro bono attorney who has dedicated hundreds of hours to assisting VLP clients, has won the New York State Bar Association’s 2009 President’s Pro Bono Award for the 2nd Judicial District. The awards are presented annually to attorneys who have made an outstanding commitment to pro bono service and to making equal access to justice a reality for low-income New Yorkers.
In his over four years as a VLP volunteer, Kim has skillfully represented clients in complicated Chapter 7 bankruptcies, including two cases that entailed intricate adversary proceedings to discharge student loan debts. He is also a regular volunteer at the Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO), the VLP’s weekly walk-in clinic for individuals being sued by creditors in Kings County Civil Court.
Kim avidly seeks out opportunities to apply his skill and determination to assisting those low-income clients with the greatest hurdles to overcome. Remarkably, Kim’s commitment to his pro bono clients is not limited to addressing their legal problems. He goes far above and beyond what is expected of him, identifying his clients’ needs and in some cases arranging appropriate mental health care and social services for them, carefully walking them through each new step along the way.
The VLP congratulates Kim on this prestigious and well-deserved award. The 2009 President’s Pro Bono Awards will be presented on May 1, 2009, at the State Bar Center in Albany.
