By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor
Supreme Court Justice Michelle M. Keller has received the seventh annual ‘Justice for All’ Award from the Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers.
Presenting the award was Jennifer Scholl Overmann, president of the Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers.
At an event held recently in Covington, Brook L. Mullins of Jackson Family Law was named “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” and Ryan Geoghegan, a Salmon P. Chase College of Law student, was named “Law Student of the Year.”
The event celebrates volunteer lawyers and outstanding “pro bono” service.
Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers is a non-profit organization focused on providing NKY lawyers pro bono volunteer opportunities. Working with the Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and the Northern Kentucky Bar Association, the organization connects low income individuals and families in need of legal services with dedicated lawyers who want to give back to the community.
Justice Keller, who lives in Ft. Mitchell and has served on the Supreme Court since 2013, serves as Chairperson of the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission. In that capacity, she had a lead role in the establishment of the Kenton County Legal Help Center, one of several such centers around the state, which offers free legal information for people who are handling certain legal matters on their own.
Volunteers provide legal information and direction in guided interviews to patrons on a first-come first-serve basis, offering information on a variety of legal topics, including divorce, expungement, child support, and simple probate matters.
The Kenton County Legal Help Center is open every Wednesday from 11 a.m.– 2 p.m. at the Kenton County Justice Center in Covington.
This project is a collaborative effort between the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission, Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, Kenton County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Kenton County Law Library Trustees, Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers, and Legal Aid of the Bluegrass.
The aim is to provide these “Legal Help Centers” across the state.
Justice Keller, a Chase College of Law alumnus, has received numerous recognitions for her public service and community involvement. She was the first woman to be presented with the NKBA’s Distinguished Lawyer of the Year Award, was named 2020 Distinguished Judge by the Kentucky Bar Association, earned the Richard D. Lawrence Lifetime Achievement Award and the Liberty Award for her service to the Court of Justice. In 2012, she was named an Outstanding Woman of Northern Kentucky.
Specifically known for her commitment to pro bono service and support of Kentucky’s legal services organizations, she also received the KBA’s Donated Legal Services Award.
Mullins is a Northern Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law. She is an associate attorney with Jackson Family Law and is co-chair of the NKBA Family Law Section. She is dedicated to public service in private practice and feels rewarded by her pro bono work as a volunteer attorney.
Geoghegan graduated from Chase College of Law this past May. While in law school he worked as a law clerk at Legal Aid of the Bluegrass where he helped with the launch of the Kenton County Legal Help Center. He is now an associate attorney with Simms Russell Law in Louisville and works in family law. He continues to be dedicated to helping those in need.