Fewer people know The Legal Aid Society’s work better than Brad Ruskin of Proskauer Rose LLP. In 1982, ten months into his first year as a Proskauer associate, he joined a team of LAS lawyers as pro bono counsel who helped a disabled New Yorker receive the services he needed to survive.  He witnessed just how essential our work was to those who needed us most, and thankfully, has been with us ever since.

“The core mission has stayed true through the years regardless of leadership, administration, or hot topics. It’s to be there for the people who need it most in the city,” he explains, and goes on to highlight just how important having a lawyer on your side is while trying to navigate the system. “Just by being a lawyer when you pick up the phone, you have more of an ability to achieve impact.”  

 The core mission has stayed true through the years regardless of leadership, administration, or hot topics. It’s to be there for the people who need it most in the city.

Witnessing the powerful influence an attorney can have on marginalized New Yorkers’ lives, as an associate he jumped at the opportunity to lead Proskauer’s fundraising efforts on behalf of our Associates’ Campaign, which accounts for nearly a third of our contributions each year. “I was very happy to ask people to give money to something I believed in”, he says, and thanks in part to his competitive spirit, Brad and Proskauer lead the campaign that year. He was asked to co-chair the Associates’ Campaign citywide immediately after, and so began his crucial role in our fundraising efforts. Eventually settling into one of the longest tenured positions on our board, Brad lends a welcomed hand to our events and campaigns, and still finds the time to help cases as a Senior Partner at his firm. 

“Every year I go to the Annual Meeting in December and the Servant of Justice Awards in the spring and I literally get goosebumps when I see the level of work our people are doing.  The quality of people dedicating their lives to their work at LAS is inspiring.” This work is only made possible by dedicated New Yorkers like Brad Ruskin who are truly committed to equal justice.