Emily Aldridge Named Bill Brockett Pro Bono Attorney of the Year for Her Service to Veterans

Emily Aldridge, an associate attorney in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher received the Bill Brockett Pro Bono Award from Swords to Plowshares on September 22, 2016 for her outstanding work with veterans.

San Francisco, California (PRWEB) September 23, 2016

Emily Aldridge, an associate attorney in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, received the Bill Brockett Pro Bono Award on Thursday for her outstanding work with veterans.

At a legal reception held at Keker & Van Nest LLP in San Francisco on September 22, 2016, Swords to Plowshares, a San Francisco-based veteran service organization, presented Ms. Aldridge with the award for her to outstanding service to veterans as a volunteer attorney and her dedication to Swords to Plowshares' Veterans Legal Pro Bono Program. The award is named in memory of William "Bill" Brockett Jr. who co-founded Keker & Van Nest LLP along with John Keker.

"Swords to Plowshares has an exceptional Pro Bono Program, and they make it easy to get involved - whether it's an hour or two staffing a legal clinic or dedicating more time by taking on a full-scope case," Aldridge said. "I am grateful to my firm for supporting Swords to Plowshares' work on behalf of veterans and I encourage every attorney I know to get involved with their Pro Bono Program."

Emily Aldridge serves as an active member on Swords to Plowshares' Pro Bono Advisory Board and has dedicated more than 230 total pro bono hours to help veterans with disabilities obtain service-connected disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Aldridge has staffed two clinics at the VA Downtown San Francisco Clinic and also provided full representation to a Vietnam veteran with multiple service-related injuries. On his behalf, she successfully won service-connected disability compensation claims for multiple mental and physical injuries, including those related to Agent Orange exposure.

Aldridge has also dedicated much of her volunteer efforts specifically to helping women veterans. In April 2016, she staffed a Women Veterans Legal Clinic at the Veterans War Memorial Building, where she assisted women veterans in their post-traumatic stress disorder claims related to their experiences of military sexual trauma. Last week, she met with women veterans at the East Bay Stand Down to provide legal counseling as part of Swords to Plowshares' pro bono volunteer team.

"We're thrilled to honor Emily with this award. She has been a tremendous advocate for her pro bono client and an active participant in our Pro Bono Program," said Swords to Plowshares Legal Director Kate Richardson. "Most importantly, the dedication and empathy she displays in working with her veteran client is exceptional, and she has made a tangible difference in his life."

About Swords to Plowshares:
Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit organization that provides case management, mental health assessment and referral, rapid re-housing and eviction prevention services, employment and training, supportive housing, and legal benefits assistance for low-income, homeless and at-risk veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. Swords to Plowshares promotes and protects the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education, and partnerships with local, state and national entities. Learn more about the work of Swords to Plowshares, and ways in which you can help, by visiting our website at http://www.stp-sf.org.

About Gibson Dunn:
From Southern California beginnings in 1890, Gibson Dunn has grown into a global law firm providing comprehensive services across borders, jurisdictions and legal disciplines. Gibson Dunn has more than 1,200 lawyers located in 19 offices in major cities throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America. They celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2015. Learn more about at http://www.gibsondunn.com/

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