For anyone associated with the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, this year is a special one: The organization is celebrating a half-century of advocating for the civil rights, full inclusion and equality of children and adults with mental disabilities. However, Partner Elizabeth McCallum – a pro bono attorney for the Bazelon Center for the past 25 years and a board member since 2017 – has even more reason to celebrate. On Sept. 22, 2022, McCallum receives the Bazelon Center’s “Lawyer of the Year” award at its virtual annual awards event.
“This organization and its staff are amazing and tireless advocates for people with disabilities. I am tremendously honored to have worked with them for so long,” said McCallum, a complex commercial litigator and pro bono director for BakerHostetler’s Washington, D.C., office.
Since 1972, the Bazelon Center has worked to protect and advance the rights of people with disabilities through impact litigation, legislative policy and advocacy, technical assistance and individual representation. The organization’s efforts have helped secure constitutional protections, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, federal funding for community services and more. McCallum’s contribution includes assisting on cases in various district courts, as well as amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The award letter penned by Holly O’Donnell, president and CEO of Bazelon Center, clearly expressed the significance of McCallum’s work. “Thanks to your many years of tireless mental health legal advocacy, you have made, and continue to make, significant progress towards ensuring the rights of children and adults with disabilities,” she wrote.
To attend the virtual event, click here.