Meet the 2021 Access to Justice Champions!
Join us for A Very Pro Bono Halloween and help us honor our 2021 Access to Justice Champions!
This year, we are pleased to recognize:
Michael Abate (Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird) for his work related to the expungement case appeal with the Kentucky Supreme Court that will impact thousands of Kentuckians.
Cassie Chambers Armstrong (Louisville Metro Council) for her work related to the expungement case appeal with the Kentucky Supreme Court that will impact thousands of Kentuckians.
Meryem Kahloon (Kahloon Law) for her work with the Domestic Violence Advocacy Program
Patrick Markey (Bahe Cook Cantley & Nefzger) for his work with Project H.E.L.P.
Click here, or call 502.458.8888, to make a reservation.
ABOUT OUR RECIPIENTS
MICHAEL ABATE
Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird
Michael is an extraordinary appellate attorney. He gave an excellent presentation before the Kentucky Supreme Court. The Legal Aid Society is fortunate he generously agreed to represent our client.
John Young, Managing Attorney of Intake for Legal Aid Society
Mike Abate is an experienced litigator that has practiced at all levels of the federal and Kentucky court systems. Michael began his career in the U.S. Department of Justice handling the United States’ most sensitive constitutional, statutory, and administrative law cases. After nearly eight years at DOJ, he joined a large regional law firm in Louisville where he became partner and chair of the firm’s appellate practice group. For the past four years, he has been a partner in Kaplan, Johnson, Abate & Bird LLP. Mike has argued cases for his clients all across the country, including in eleven different U.S. Courts of Appeals, the Kentucky Supreme Court, and the Kentucky Court of Appeals. He also has briefed numerous cases in the U.S. Supreme Court at both the certiorari and merits stages.
Mike is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School, from which he graduated Order of the Coif. He also clerked for the Hon. Diana Gribbon Motz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mike concentrates his practice on appellate, media, and healthcare litigation. He regularly handles pro bono cases in state and federal court on a host of constitutional issues, ranging from access to justice questions to voting rights to reproductive freedoms. He is humbled and honored to be recognized by Legal Aid for these efforts.
CASSIE CHAMBERS ARMSTRONG
Louisville Metro Council Member
Cassie was instrumental in helping to draft and file the appeals in the Jones case. She is a tireless advocate with a brilliant mind.
- John Young, Managing Attorney of Intake with Legal Aid Society
Cassie Chambers Armstrong is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and a member of the Louisville Metro Council. Cassie graduated from Yale College, the Yale School of Public Health, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law. She then clerked for then District Court Judge Amul Thapar before beginning her practice at the Legal Aid Society. She subsequently worked for the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird. Her research and pro bono efforts are focused on increasing access to justice throughout Kentucky.
MERYEM KAHLOON
Kahloon Law, PLLC
Meryem is an exemplar of compassion and professionalism in our legal community. Her pro bono contributions, where she has represented many survivors of intimate partner violence in their protective order hearings and divorces, reflect her deep-rooted commitment to integrating public service into her life and practice.
- Beth Robinson-Kinney, Legal Aid Society Attorney
Meryem Kahloon is a Pakistani-American attorney whose practice focuses on family law. Meryem is currently practicing at the Kahloon Law Office. Before joining the Kahloon Law Office, Meryem was at McBrayer and prior to that she was at Clay Daniel Winner. Prior to advocacy, Meryem was a Staff Attorney, during this time she experienced the justice system first hand, learned its innerworkings, and gained valuable insight into the judicial decision-making process in family court. Meryem graduated from the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law.
During Meryem’s law school tenure, she had the opportunity to practice as a student attorney for survivors of domestic violence at the Robert & Sue Ellen Ackerson Law Clinic. This opportunity led to her love and passion to continue advocating for clients of the Legal Aid Society. Meryem also served as an extern at the Indiana Department of Child Services.
These experiences provided Meryem with the skills and knowledge she needed to pursue her passion of advocating for both children and survivors of domestic violence in Family Court. Meryem gained international experience helping women who have survived harassment and violence when she served as a Legal Intern at the Federal Ombudsman Office for Protection Against Women in the Workplace in Islamabad, Pakistan. Meryem is driven by her passion to help others on a career and personal level. Meryem’s personal experience as a single mom and her cultural background have provided her with a unique perspective on family law. Meryem want’s her clients to go to sleep at night with the peace of mind their attorney is advocating for them zealously. Meryem is extremely honored to have her efforts recognized by the people at Legal Aid who work tirelessly to improve lives.
PATRICK MARKEY
Bahe Cook Cantley & Nefzger
“Patrick is an exceptional advocate who goes above and beyond to achieve great outcomes for his clients. His volunteer work really demonstrates the importance of Legal Aid programs like Project H.E.L.P. in protecting our most vulnerable clients.”
- Jenn Perkins, Legal Aid Society attorney
Patrick E. Markey is a partner at the firm of Bahe Cook Cantley & Nefzger PLC. Mr. Markey received his law degree from the University of Louisville. Prior to practicing law, he served his community, for nearly eight years, as an employee of the Hardin County Drug Court program. He is proud to support the Legal Aid Society's mission is to make justice accessible to all.