2012 Unsung Heroes

 Kathryn Kenyon 

Over the past two years, Kathryn Kenyon handled protection from abuse and custody conciliation cases on a weekly basis. In most of these cases, Kenyon represented women and children, often helping victims of domestic violence obtain protection from abuse orders to prevent them and their children from further mistreatment. In custody conciliation cases, Kenyon’s clients were parents who couldn’t afford to hire private counsel. She represented them in a conciliation to effectuate a consent custody order to increase the amount of time her clients could spend with their children.

In addition to her personal pro bono representation in these cases, Kenyon works hard in the Pittsburgh community to recruit fellow lawyers to help those in need. In 2010 and 2011 she was vice chair of the administrative board of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership and was on the board of directors of the Neighborhood Legal Services Association.

Kenyon is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti and is a past recipient of the firm’s Nora Barry Fischer Award, which recognizes attorneys who have given back to the legal profession and the community at large.

 Wesley Payne

 Every other month, Wesley Payne organizes a group of attorneys who go to their chosen homeless shelter, Our Brothers Place, and provide legal advice and representation to the residents. The group usually handles more than 200 cases each year, and Payne himself handles about 30 of them, many of which are Social Security cases. Over the past two years, Payne has also begun to take on mortgage foreclosure matters on a pro bono basis, contributing to more than 250 hours of pro bono work he performs each year.

As the chairman of White & Williams’ homeless advocacy practice group, Payne has a hand in a number of different pro bono organizations. He is chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s veterans committee and the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s veterans and military affairs committee, through which he assists veterans with their civil legal issues. He is also a member of the Homeless Advocacy Project board and the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network board and will be the PLAN vice president this year.