Clifford to be Honored with ACBF Pro Bono Award

Dickie McCamey is pleased to announce that shareholder William D. Clifford will be honored with the Allegheny County Bar Foundation’s Kathryn M. Kenyon Leadership Award for his commitment to pro bono service—as a volunteer, active supporter of the Partnership’s Administrative Board, Project Coordinator, mentor, trainer, and visionary for pro bono service in our community.

This occasional award is given to an individual who has demonstrated commitment and exceptional leadership in pro bono efforts benefiting the most vulnerable in our communities. The award was established in 2015 and is named in honor of Katie Kenyon, who has provided pro bono legal services throughout her legal career and has shown outstanding initiative and leadership as volunteer chair of organizations assisting individuals with low incomes including the ACBA Public Service Committee, the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership, and Neighborhood Legal Services Association.

“This award is very meaningful to me because it is given by the Allegheny County Bar Foundation that does so much for the pro bono community and is given in the name of Katie Kenyon who is a true hero to many of us,” Mr. Clifford said. “I accept this award on behalf of my firm and our many dedicated attorneys that selflessly give their time to the many pro bono programs from the Foundation and from the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership.”

Mr. Clifford was nominated for this recognition by the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership and Neighborhood Legal Services by way of Judy Hale and former Dickie McCamey attorney Maureen Barber, who serves as Chair, Administrative Board of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership.

“Mr. Clifford has a reputation and track record for serving our community through pro bono service,” said Barber. “Mr. Clifford’s tremendous commitment and dedication to public service, the legal profession, and the community is evident and makes him deserving of [this] recognition.”

Mr. Clifford has served as the Project Coordinator for the Best Interest Attorney Project, a signature project of the partnership that operates in connection with the Family Division of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. The Best Interest Attorney Program recruits and trains volunteers to advocate for the best interests of at-risk children in high-conflict, complex custody battles. Attorneys who volunteer with this Project investigate the circumstances and background of the children and families and present this information to the presiding judge. Mr. Clifford was instrumental in creatively transitioning the Project to the Best Interest Attorney Project to ensure these needs continued to be met.

In 2020, Mr. Clifford founded The Shortest Line, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising funds to support much-needed evaluations and services in conjunction with the Best Interest Attorney Project. Contributions raised by The Shortest Line are used to fund psychological evaluations, family therapy and mediation sessions, and other court-involved services to better equip the Court to make educated and informed custody determinations that are in the best interest of the child. The Shortest Line came to fruition through Mr. Clifford’s dedication to the Best Interest Attorney Project. Because of his deep understanding of the Project—as both the Project Coordinator and regular volunteer, and through his discussions with the Court, court staff, pro bono volunteers and clients—Mr. Clifford recognized that the best way to serve the families and children at the heart of the Best Interest Attorney Project was to ensure they had access to these—often prohibitively expensive, yet critical—services.

The Allegheny County Bar Foundation Fall reception, at which time Mr. Clifford will be formally honored, is on Tuesday, September 24, 5:30 p.m., at Hotel Monaco.