Hon. Amiena Khan and Joel Kurtzberg Honored at 2018 Abely Awards

New York’s legal, civic and anti-gender violence communities gathered on September 24 to honor Hon. Amiena Khan, Executive Vice President of the National Association of Immigration Judges and Joel Kurtzberg, Partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, at Sanctuary for Families’ 22nd Abely Awards. The annual awards, co-hosted with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Davis Polk) and Columbia Law School, recognize individuals making a difference in the lives of domestic violence and sex trafficking survivors.

The Hon. Amiena Khan, Executive Vice President of the National Association of Immigration Judges, received The Abely Award for Leading Women and Children to Safety in recognition of her career devoted to upholding the law with fairness and compassion for the most vulnerable populations in the justice system. Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, Executive Director of Sanctuary for Families, presented Judge Khan with her award.

Joel Kurtzberg, Partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, received The Abely Pro Bono Achievement Award. A member of Sanctuary for Families' Legal Advisory Council, the New York Law Journal named him one of its “Lawyers Who Lead By Example” for his service to poor New Yorkers. He has done extensive pro bono work for Sanctuary on behalf of its clients and was previously honored by the organization for Excellence in Pro Bono Advocacy. His award was presented by Dorchen A. Leidholdt, Director of Sanctuary’s Legal Center.

Hon. Judy Harris Kluger said, “An indefatigable commitment to social justice defines the career of Judge Amiena Khan and the pro bono efforts of Joel Kurtzberg. Each devotes countless hours in the fight against gender violence, bringing safety and security to clients of Sanctuary for Families and others.”

Ammar Monawar, a Second-Year Student at Columbia Law School, was recognized as the 2018 Maryellen Abely Fellow. The fellowship, funded by Davis Polk, allows a Columbia Law student to spend the summer working at Sanctuary’s Legal Center. He was introduced by Gillian Lester, Dean and the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law at Columbia Law.

The ceremony opened with remarks by Sharon Katz, Special Counsel for Pro Bono at Davis Polk. She received the Abely Pro Bono Achievement Award in 2016.

Notable attendees at this year’s ceremony included Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., Hon. Barry Kamins, Hon. Charlotte Davidson, and Hon. Ellen Gesmer.

The Abely Awards honor the memory of Maryellen Abely, an alumna of Columbia Law School, an associate at Davis Polk and one of the first pro bono attorneys at Sanctuary’s Legal Center who was a tireless advocate for the rights of survivors of domestic abuse. For more information about the 22nd Annual Abely Awards, visit https://www.sanctuaryforfamilies.org/event/abelyawards/.

Sanctuary for Families is dedicated to the safety, healing, and self-determination of survivors of domestic violence and related forms of gender violence. Through comprehensive services for clients and their children, and through outreach, education and advocacy, it strives to create a world in which freedom from gender violence is a basic human right.

Last year, Sanctuary served nearly 13,200 survivors through a range of holistic services including safety planning, counseling, legal representation, shelter, and economic empowerment. Sanctuary also engages in extensive outreach, training, public education, and advocacy, connecting with over 20,000 concerned community members annually.

To learn more about Sanctuary’s programs, please visit www.sanctuaryforfamilies.org .