Nicolson received the distinction for nearly doubling the number of her organization’s staff, quadrupling the number of clients served and expanding its scope of services into five Western New York counties during the past 16 years. She also spearheaded new projects, including an elder abuse prevention unit and the Western New York Coalition Pooled Trusts.
The Civil Legal Services Program Director Award is one of three Denison Ray Civil Awards given by the Bar Association. Others went to Syracuse attorney Josh Cotter, who was given the Civil Legal Services Individual Attorney Award; Bath attorney David Kagle, awarded the Civil Legal Services Individual Attorney Award; and Community Service Society of New York (Next Door Project), which was given the Nonprofit Organization Award.
The Bar Association also established the Phil Dailey Award in honor of the late Phil Dailey, who was a paralegal at LawNY in Geneva. The award, posthumously given to Dailey during the conference, was created to recognize the vital services of a non-attorney who demonstrates an excellence and dedication in service to legal service organizations in fulfilling their mission to provide all New Yorkers with equal access to justice.
Dailey’s daughters accepted the award on their father’s behalf.
“The State Bar is proud to honor this year’s Denison Ray Civil and Phil Dailey award recipients for their extraordinary advocacy on behalf of our state’s most vulnerable citizens,” said State Bar President Claire P. Gutekunst of Yonkers. “They have done a remarkable job upholding the traditions of the legal profession and making a difference in the lives of those in need of legal services.”
The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.
