JustCause Celebrates 45 Years
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — September 22, 2026 — JustCause commemorated 45 years of connecting legal volunteers with the community at a celebration held Tuesday, September 22, at the Monroe County Hall of Justice in Rochester. Nearly 200 members of New York State’s judicial leadership, local judges, attorneys, volunteers, and community leaders gathered to recognize more than four decades of pro bono service and the lasting impact it has had throughout the Rochester community.
The ceremony featured keynote remarks from Hon. Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals and the State of New York. Chief Judge Wilson, who was confirmed as Chief Judge in 2023, has a longstanding connection to pro bono service, having handled numerous pro bono matters and served on charitable and nonprofit boards during his years in private practice.
The program also recognized four individuals and organizations with JustCause’s Enduring Impact Award for Pro Bono Leadership, honoring extraordinary and sustained commitments to expanding access to justice:
Margaret A. Clemens, Esq. was recognized for more than four decades of involvement with JustCause, beginning shortly after her admission to the bar in 1985. A former JustCause Board President and longtime volunteer, Clemens devoted more than 900 hours of pro bono service to complex matrimonial, custody, and family matters alone, helping survivors of domestic violence obtain protection, custody, support, and greater stability. Now retired, Clemens founded Littler Mendelson’s Rochester office, where she mentored many new attorneys and encouraged them to take pro bono cases in service to the community.
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP was recognized for a partnership with JustCause that dates back to the organization’s inception. More than 100 HSE attorneys have handled over 1,300 pro bono matters and contributed more than 5,900 hours of service through JustCause over the past decade. The firm’s partnership has continued through volunteer representation, training and mentorship, immigration forums, emergency-response assistance, and its summer associate program.
Hon. Gerald J. Whalen, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department, was honored for leadership that has strengthened government pro bono service assisting tenants in eviction matters. Over the program’s 10-year history, more than 30 attorneys have contributed nearly 1,000 pro bono hours, helping provide critical assistance to 928 Irondequoit families at risk of losing their homes. The program is the only one of its kind in New York State supporting pro bono eviction defense work by court staff.
Michael R. Wolford, Esq. was recognized for a legal career spanning more than five decades and a deep commitment to representing those who might otherwise go without counsel. Wolford has donated more than 670 recorded pro bono hours through JustCause across matters including immigration, Social Security, employment discrimination, federal tax debt, and federal prisoner civil rights cases, while also mentoring generations of younger attorneys. He is currently Of Counsel at Bond Schoeneck & King.
The ceremony also celebrated the legacy of JustCause’s William E. McKnight Volunteer Service Award, established in 1985 to honor outstanding local pro bono service. The McKnight Award is presented annually to attorneys who have made significant service contributions during the year. Approximately 40 past McKnight Award recipients attended the anniversary celebration and were recognized together for their collective contributions to the community.
“Rochester’s attorneys have a long history of volunteer service to our community,” said Tina Monshipour Foster, Executive Director of JustCause. “The individuals being honored today have not only done extraordinary pro bono work, but have demonstrated leadership that has had an enduring impact. We’re grateful for the opportunity to honor them with a visit from our state’s judicial leadership, and hear remarks from Chief Judge Wilson.”
45 Years of Connecting Legal Volunteers with the Community
JustCause was founded in 1981 as the Volunteer Legal Services Project after the Monroe County Bar Association received a $20,000 Legal Services Corporation demonstration grant designed to increase private attorney participation in providing civil legal services to people with low incomes. Rochester was one of only five bar associations nationwide to receive the funding. By September of that year, 75 attorneys had joined the pro bono panel.
In 2020, the organization rebranded and changed its name from Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc. to JustCause. Forty-five years after its founding, the organization has grown from its original panel of 75 attorneys to a network of more than 1,300 volunteers.
Today, JustCause volunteers contribute approximately $1.2 million in pro bono legal services each year, helping the organization respond to more than 25,000 requests for legal help annually.
JustCause’s work now spans housing, family law, immigration, consumer matters, estate planning, federal and state court assistance, veterans’ legal services, and other civil legal needs. The 45th Anniversary celebration honored not only the organization’s history, but also the ripple effect created by generations of volunteers and pro bono leaders whose service has strengthened access to justice throughout the Rochester community.
