NEW YORK – Bracewell LLP senior counsel Russell Gallaro has been honored by the New York Center for Law and Justice (NYCLJ) with its 2025 Pro Bono Leadership Award. The annual award celebrates outstanding volunteer lawyers who advance the center’s mission of providing free legal services to individuals who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing.
Gallaro will be recognized at an awards dinner on December 2 for his pro bono representation of a deaf woman from Uzbekistan in a complex political asylum matter. Working closely with NYCLJ attorneys and a team of sign language interpreters, he prepared the client for her long-delayed asylum interview, a process that began in 2016 and culminated earlier this year. Gallaro’s guidance, cultural sensitivity and strong communication through interpreters earned high praise from NYCLJ staff, who described his dedication as indistinguishable from his billable work.
Bracewell has a longstanding partnership with NYCLJ, working with the organization on asylum cases and other matters benefiting the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, securing successful outcomes for multiple individuals who are now US citizens.
