KIND Board Co-Chair Brad Smith Receives 2011 NLADA Exemplar Award
- Wednesday, December 07, 2011 |
- Written by Megan Mckenna
-
The National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) presented its 2011 Exemplar Award to KIND Board-Co Chair Brad Smith for his work co-founding and supporting KIND, as well as for his other significant contributions to the promotion of pro bono and diversity initiatives.
Jo-Ann Wallace, president and CEO of NLADA, said, "We are extraordinarily proud to name Brad Smith the recipient of this prestigious award in NLADA's centennial year. Brad is a shining example of corporate counsel contributing to better pro bono services in America. Along with Microsoft, he has demonstrated a sustained commitment to ensuring that disadvantaged individuals gain access to services they need."
Smith said upon receiving news of his award, "I am deeply gratified and honored to receive an award that recognizes the important civic role that lawyers can play in improving the lives of the nation's most vulnerable population," Smith said. "Pro bono services fill a critical need in our society, and I am proud to represent a company that understands the enormous responsibility of corporate and private citizenship - in the Seattle area and throughout the nation."
Smith co-founded KIND with actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie in late 2008 to help protect the basic rights of unaccompanied children in the United States. He has served as co-chair of the Board since then, with Ms. Jolie.
Smith has played a central role in ensuring that Microsoft fulfills its corporate responsibilities. In recent years, Microsoft has consistently ranked in the top 2 percent of the S&P 500 for corporate governance scores. During Smith's tenure, the company's citizenship programs have reached almost 300 million people in 120 countries through technology training programs that help individuals develop skills needed to obtain jobs.
The 2011 Exemplar Award Dinner was held December 6 in Washington, DC. You can read more about it at www.nlada.org
