CONFERENCE OF BAR LEADERS HONORS LGBT BAR ASSOCIATION, REGION II OF HISPANIC NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION

ALBANY, NY (02/01/2016)(readMedia)-- The LGBT Bar Association (LeGaL) and Region II (N.Y.) of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) have been honored with the New York State Conference of Bar Leaders Innovation Awards for their outstanding public service.

The awards recognize how bar associations adapt to the needs of their members and the community at large by introducing innovative programs, ideas and methodologies. They were presented during the New York State Bar Association's Annual Meeting in New York City January 29.

"Both HNBA and LeGaL are bar associations worthy of the 2016 New York Conference of Bar Leaders Innovations Awards," said Deborah L. Martin of New York City, vice chair of the New York State Conference of Bar Leaders.

LeGaL (Medium Bar Association Award) was recognized for hiring its first legal director to coordinate pro bono attorney efforts. "Hiring a legal director allowed LeGaL to strengthen its support of constituents and dramatically increase its capacity to assist those in the LGBT community faced with navigating the legal landscape," Martin said.

Founded in 1978 and incorporated in 1984, LeGaL was one of the nation's first bar associations for the LGBT legal community. It is dedicated to improving the administration of the law, ensuring full equality for members of the LGBT community, and promotes the expertise and advancement of LGBT professionals.

The HNBA (Smaller Bar Association Award) was recognized for successfully coordinating a bilingual clinic for Spanish-speaking small business owners of hair, nail and spa salons in New York City.

"The HNBA's program, 'Nail/Hair Salon Business Owners Breakfast Clinic,' provided salon owners with crucial information for complying with federal, state and local legal requirements," Martin explained.

The idea for the clinic stemmed from a May 2015 New York Times article exposing abuses and violations of the Labor Law in the nail salon industry, which employs a large number of immigrants.

The New York State Bar Association, with 74,000 members, is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. It was founded in 1876.

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