At the June awards ceremony, King County Bar Association recognized Michael Goldenkranz as the 2023 Pro Bono award winner for his outstanding record of service with the Neighborhood Legal Clinics program. As a volunteer attorney with NLC, Michael provides legal advice on a wide range of civil legal issues to clients who might not otherwise have access to an attorney. He has volunteered about once a week for nearly twenty years, amassing hundreds of hours of pro bono service work, and assisting several hundred, if not thousands, of clients and their families.
Reflecting on receiving this award, Michael had the following thoughts to share:
Q: What’s it like to be selected this year as the King County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award recipient?
A: As Groucho Marx said: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member! Other than perhaps KCBA and WSBA!
Q: Why have you volunteered almost every Monday at the NLC for two decades? What keeps you coming back each week?
A: For me it’s like Sam Malone’s Bar in Cheers, where everyone knows my name. Someday my colleagues will let me know if I’m Sam, Norm or, God forbid, Cliff
Seriously though, if we can connect with, help, and provide hope to those who often share with us just the tip of their personal iceberg, it’s a blessing. To watch a client leave the clinic with just bit more spring in their step because they “were heard,” “valued,” “empowered” and given “options” when they didn’t think they had any, we as volunteers are fortunate and consider that a success.
I believe that Mr. Rogers, the wonderfully gifted and astute children’s show host, who was also a Presbyterian minister, beautifully explained the Jewish value that guides me: “Tikkun Olam.”
“We are all called to be ‘Tikkun Olam,’ repairers of creation.”1
Q: What advice would you offer to other legal folks to have them participate in Pro Bono Activities?
A: Follow musician Paul Simon’s advice from 50 Ways to leave your lover: “Just hop on the Bus Gus!” or better yet, “Let me make you an offer you can’t refuse!”
Finally, Michael shared this quote: “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” (Anonymous.)
Indeed, Michael’s commitment to the pro bono community extends beyond his direct work with clients at the NLC. On top of weekly clinic shifts, he has served on the NLC Committee, helped plan a 40th anniversary celebration for the program, and — this past April — celebrated his 70th birthday by getting NLC volunteers together for their first in-person event in five years. He is passionate about making connections with fellow attorneys, showing new attorneys the benefits of volunteering, and bringing all of us together in support of pro bono work. He even did a radio stint about it!2 We on the Neighborhood Legal Clinics staff are grateful to have had the opportunity to recognize Michael’s dedication to our program, and hope you’ll join us in congratulating him for this well-deserved award.
1 Tikkun Olam is a Jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings. It is often used when discussing issues of social policy, ensuring a safeguard to those who may be at a disadvantage. In modern Jewish circles, tikkun olam has become synonymous with the notion of social action and the pursuit of social justice.
2 https://omny.fm/shows/the-dave-ross-commentary/pro-bono.
