Attorneys at Tonkon Torp were honored recently for their outstanding support of the Lawyer’s Campaign for Equal Justice (CEJ). The firm posted the largest dollar increase in giving over last year’s campaign in the Large Firm category. The accomplishment was announced at the CEJ annual luncheon on February 8 in Portland.
Long involved in the annual Campaign, Tonkon Torp each year has nearly 100 percent fundraising participation from the firm’s attorneys. The 2011 campaign was coordinated within the firm by Darcy Norville, Dan Skerritt and Chris Harding. Norville serves on a CEJ advisory board and Ron Greenman serves on the CEJ Board of Directors.
The Lawyer’s Campaign for Equal Justice was established in 1991 by Oregon attorneys to improve the well-being of all Oregonians by supporting equal access to civil legal services. Funds raised by the CEJ support 92 legal aid attorneys working with low income Oregonians in 18 communities throughout the state. Since 1991, the Oregon legal community has helped the Campaign raise more than $19 million for legal aid. CEJ estimates that today nearly 800,000 low-income Oregonians are eligible for legal aid services, though less than 20 percent of that number is served because of resource constraints.
“Tonkon Torp has consistently supported the Lawyer’s Campaign for Equal Justice because we believe our profession has an ethical obligation to help low income individuals gain access to legal representation,” said Michael M. Morgan, managing partner of Tonkon Torp. “I appreciate the hard work of our Campaign coordinators and the generosity of our attorneys in addressing this important need.”
