Access to Justice · A2J Council
The A2J Council
The Access to Justice (A2J) Council is a five-member board of respected attorneys, judges, professors, and legal-aid leaders who safeguard the integrity of this platform and champion equal access to justice across the country. The CEO of Pro Bono Vault serves as a permanent member, and the board is led by a Council Chair with four regional seats — one for each region of the United States.
The Council
Chair & Regional Seats
The CEO of Pro Bono Vault serves as a permanent member alongside a Council Chair and four regional seats. We’re actively building the Council — open seats are shown below, and we welcome people who want to serve.
Permanent Member — CEO
Juhi Agarwal
CEO, Pro Bono Vault
Montgomery High School, NJ
CEO and Founder of Pro Bono Vault and an aspiring lawyer dedicated to closing the access-to-justice gap. Serves as a permanent member of the Access to Justice Council.
Council Chair
Seat open — we’d love to hear from you
We’re seeking a distinguished leader in the legal community to chair the Council and guide its mission of advancing access to justice across the country.
Northeast Seat
Seat open — we’d love to hear from you
We’re seeking a respected attorney, judge, professor, or legal-aid leader from the Northeast to help review nominations and champion access to justice.
South Seat
Seat open — we’d love to hear from you
We’re seeking a respected attorney, judge, professor, or legal-aid leader from the South to help review nominations and champion access to justice.
Midwest Seat
Seat open — we’d love to hear from you
We’re seeking a respected attorney, judge, professor, or legal-aid leader from the Midwest to help review nominations and champion access to justice.
West Seat
Seat open — we’d love to hear from you
We’re seeking a respected attorney, judge, professor, or legal-aid leader from the West to help review nominations and champion access to justice.
Mandate
The Council’s Charter
As guardian of this platform’s integrity, the Council upholds the standards that keep access to justice honest, dignified, and meaningful for the people who depend on it. Its charter is defined by three core responsibilities.
Uphold platform integrity
The Council safeguards the standards and integrity of the platform — ensuring that access to justice is delivered with honesty and dignity, and that its impact on the communities it serves is genuine and enduring.
Adjudicate the annual honors
The Council evaluates every nomination for the A2J Awards against its published criteria — impact, commitment, innovation, and leadership — and confers each honor: a Silver Key Rising Star for every region and a national Gold Key Firm & Organization of the Year.
Convene the annual gala
The Council presides over the annual awards gala, where the year’s honorees are formally recognized and celebrated, and the profession convenes to champion the cause of access to justice.
The Honors
A2J Awards
Each year the Council presents five honors: four Silver Key Rising Stars — one from each region of the country — and one national Gold Key Firm / Organization of the Year.
Silver Key · Rising Star
Northeast
Awarded to an early-career attorney, law student, or advocate in the Northeast who has shown extraordinary commitment to pro bono legal service.
CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
To be announcedSilver Key · Rising Star
South
Awarded to an early-career attorney, law student, or advocate in the South who has shown extraordinary commitment to pro bono legal service.
AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
To be announcedSilver Key · Rising Star
Midwest
Awarded to an early-career attorney, law student, or advocate in the Midwest who has shown extraordinary commitment to pro bono legal service.
IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
To be announcedSilver Key · Rising Star
West
Awarded to an early-career attorney, law student, or advocate in the West who has shown extraordinary commitment to pro bono legal service.
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY
To be announcedGold Key · National Honor
Firm / Organization of the Year
Awarded to the law firm, legal-aid organization, clinic, or bar program whose pro bono work had the greatest measurable impact on access to justice this year, anywhere in the country.
To be announcedMethodology & Process
How Nominations & Selection Work
Who can be nominated & how
- Anyone may submit a nomination — including self-nominations. It’s free.
- Rising Star: an attorney, law student, or advocate, generally in the first ~10 years of their career, based in the region they’re nominated for.
- Firm / Organization of the Year: any U.S. law firm, legal-aid nonprofit, clinic, or bar program.
- Provide a short narrative describing the nominee’s pro bono work and its impact. Supporting details (hours, cases, outcomes) strengthen a nomination.
How winners are selected
- Impact — the difference the work made for people who could not otherwise afford legal help.
- Commitment — the depth, consistency, and personal sacrifice of the pro bono service.
- Innovation — creative approaches that expand access to justice or help underserved communities.
- Leadership — inspiring and enabling others to do pro bono work.
Nominations are reviewed by the A2J Council. Selection is at the Council’s discretion; the Council may request additional information before making a decision.
Submit a Nomination
Know an attorney, advocate, or organization who deserves recognition? Nominate them for a 2026 A2J Award. It’s free and takes just a few minutes.
About you (the nominator)
Nominations are reviewed by the A2J Council. Submitting a nomination does not guarantee selection.