BBA Seeks Nominations for 2025 Mary K. Ryan Achievement in Pro Bono Award

The Boston Bar Association is pleased to announce an open call for nominations for the second annual Mary K. Ryan Achievements in Pro Bono award. The award will be presented by the Boston Bar Association at its Annual Meeting, which will be held on October 30th, to a select number of Massachusetts attorneys who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to pro bono.

The individuals honored may be at any career stage—junior, mid-career, senior or retired—and may be drawn from all corners of practice. The honorees will embody the qualities that distinguished Mary as a champion of legal aid and pro bono work. They will have made pro bono a theme of their professional lives in a manner appropriate to their career stage. This may take many forms, including staunch advocacy for access to justice for the underserved; unwavering commitment to a case; dedication to mentoring others in pro bono service; and a selfless willingness to contribute time and talent to ensure access to legal services for those who need them.

Special attention will be paid to civil cases and nominees who have worked individually, led small teams or sought out under-resourced cases.

The BBA is inviting nominations, and individuals are encouraged to nominate their peers or self-nominate. Nominations should be sent via Foundant and include up to three paragraphs on why the individual should be considered, including examples of specific names of organizations and cases. Please also provide the names of up to two references and their contact information we could contact if necessary. Cases referenced need not have taken place in Massachusetts, but the individual nominated must be barred in and practice in the Commonwealth.

To read about last year’s Mary K. Ryan Pro Bono Award recipients, click here.

To read more about Mary K. Ryan and how the award was created, please click here.

Here are instructions on how to access the form:

The 2025 Mary K. Ryan Award application is due on Friday, September 12, and must be submitted on Foundant via this link. Follow these steps to complete the form. For any questions about how to access Foundant, please contact Cecilia Cormier at ccormier@bostonbar.org.

1. Click create new account.
2. Insert Organization Information, User Information, Executive Officer Questions, and Password.
   1. • If your organization does not have an EIN/Tax ID, please enter 00-0000000.
      • Note: The Organization Information section is required by the software the BBA uses to facilitate these applications. Please fill it out to the best of your ability—this information will not affect your nomination in any way.
3. Logon with your username, which is your email, and password.
4. Once logged in you will be on the Applicant Dashboard.
5. On the top ribbon, click ‘Apply’ to reach the Apply page which lists the available grant opportunities and details about each. From here, you will find the Mary K. Ryan Award Application.
6. Click on the ‘Apply’ button to the right of the form. The preview button will allow you to see the application as a PDF.
7. Answer the questions, and upload supporting materials. At the very bottom, towards the right there is a ‘Save Button.’
8. Once finished, click the ‘Submit Application’ button at the very bottom next to ‘Save Application.’ Remember to submit by the due date: Friday, September 12.