Royal listed among best pro bono attorneys

            Royal recently was honored by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education as one of the top Pro Bono attorneys in the state. She was joined on the list by a former faculty member and six other graduates of the College of Law at Arizona State University.

            “This recognizes the work I do beyond my position at the law school, and it sets a higher standard for me now,” said Royal, who administers many programs that enable law students to give back to their communities. “The College encourages us to be involved with Pro Bono work, and there are a lot of professors who also serve the public in various capacities. It’s good for the students to see that we practice what we preach.”

            The example set by faculty has paid off: last year, law students contributed more than 73,000 hours of law-related public service to low-income and underserved populations. The fair-market value of these services was over $7.3 million.

            “Under the leadership of K Royal, the College of Law is committed to expanding the culture of Pro Bono service within the legal community,” Dean Patricia White said in congratulating Royal.

            Kevin Ruegg, chief executive officer of the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, said her staff in three areas of service -- law-related education, legal services and public legal web sites – unanimously chose Royal for the award because of her tireless efforts to bring students and attorneys alike to the volunteer table.

            “K’s just been a huge resource and has helped us build a foundation that volunteer lawyers can work with,” Ruegg said. “She’s always goes above and beyond.

            “The project is done to perfection, the process is in place so it can be followed, and she has involved enough other people that you have a population to continue the work that’s been started,” she said. “That’s K.”

            When the foundation needed attorneys to help answer the hundreds of legal questions from children and senior citizens, Royal didn’t hesitate to help. The foundation’s web site for juveniles, http://www.lawforkids.org/, receives hundreds of questions every month, ranging from “What’s the curfew in my town?” to “Will the police take me in if they find my brother’s pot in my treasure box?” Ruegg said.  

            “K helped us come up with a process for addressing more than 200 questions that we were bombarded with,” she said. “She came in and got them answered and got them posted. She understands the real needs of people enough that she can inspire others.”

            Also receiving Pro Bono recognition was Todd Lang, a former College of Law faculty member, and these graduates: Kyle Hirsch (Class of 2005); Redfield T. Baum Jr. (Class of 2000); Sharon Ottenberg and F. Morgan Brown (Class of 1996); and Hermilio Iniguez (Class of 1973).