2008-09-18 01:17:28 -

www.dpw.com/careers/probono.htm - Sanctuary for Families Lisa Mueller 212-349-6009, ext. 274 lisa@sffny.org or Davis Polk & Wardwell Harald Stavenas 212-450-6039 harald.stavenas@dpw.com The annual Abely Awards, co-sponsored by Sanctuary for Families, Davis Polk & Wardwell and Columbia Law School, will be presented this coming Monday, September 22, 2008. The awards recognize individuals dedicated to assisting victims of domestic violence and were established

to honor the memory of Maryellen Abely, who was a pro bono attorney for clients of Sanctuary's Center for Battered Women's Legal Services, an associate at Davis Polk, and an alumna of Columbia Law School. She died in 1995 after a long fight with cancer.

Since 1997, the Abely Award for Leading Women & Children to Safety has been presented annually to those who have helped victims of domestic violence with the compassion, energy and dedication for which Maryellen Abely is remembered. This year's recipients are Ms. Teresa Columba Ulloa Ziaurriz, Regional Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Girls - Latin America and the Caribbean, and Ms. Maria Guadalupe Morfin Otero, Special Prosecutor on Violence Against Women and Trafficking in Persons, the Federal Government of Mexico. The award will be presented by The Honorable Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York. Previous award recipients include: The Honorable Jack B. Weinstein, The late Honorable Paul Wellstone and the late Sheila Wellstone, The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, The Honorable Charles Schumer and The Honorable Judith S. Kaye.

The Abely Pro Bono Achievement Award was created in 2001 to recognize the contributions of extraordinarily dedicated attorneys who have consistently demonstrated a professional commitment to improving the lives of clients of Sanctuary's Legal Center. This year's recipient is Davis Polk & Wardwell. Media Welcome to Attend

WHAT: Abely Awards Presentation

WHEN: Monday, September 22, 2008, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Davis Polk & Wardwell, 450 Lexington Ave., 8th Floor Conference Center

About Sanctuary for Families: Sanctuary for Families is the largest non-profit agency in New York State providing services exclusively to domestic violence victims and their children. Sanctuary's integrated network of direct services--including shelter, counseling, and legal advice and representation --reaches over 8,000 of New York City's most vulnerable women and children annually. Our education, awareness-building, and advocacy initiatives connect with more than 20,000 other community members. Sanctuary's Legal Center is the largest of its kind in the country. Sanctuary's attorneys and support staff, along with a roster of more than 400 pro bono attorneys, legal interns, and volunteers, offer comprehensive, culturally and linguistically sensitive legal advice, assistance, and representation to battered women in cases involving divorce, child custody/visitation, child and spousal support, immigration, and prosecution of batterers in criminal matters. Sanctuary envisions a society in which freedom from violence is a basic human right. For more information: www.sanctuaryforfamilies.org

Recipients:

Ms. Teresa Columba Ulloa Ziaurriz

Regional Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
and Girls - Latin America and the Caribbean

Ms. Maria Guadalupe Morfin Otero

Special Prosecutor on Violence Against Women and Trafficking in
Persons, the Federal Government of Mexico