Alston & Bird has been honored by Communities In Schools of Atlanta (CISA) with its annual “Corporate Partner Award” in recognition of the firm’s longstanding commitment to pro bono, community service, and social engagement.
Derin Dickerson, partner in Alston & Bird’s Litigation & Trial Practice Group and co-chair of the firm’s Atlanta Diversity Committee, accepted the award on behalf of the firm at an April 28 virtual presentation that also recognized BET President Scott Mills.
Alston & Bird has enjoyed a long history of service in support of CISA’s advocacy on behalf of nearly 30,000 at-risk students and their families. Since 2013, the firm has served as the organization’s pro bono general counsel. Led by partner Brian Harvel of the Federal & International Tax Group, the firm has assisted CISA in a number of ways, ranging from drafting and negotiating contracts and amending bylaws, to advising on the structure of boards and committees, and aiding in employment matters. The firm has also provided board and employee training and materials and implemented financial and other internal controls, while advising CISA on ways it can adapt and grow in Atlanta.
Founded in the basement of a home in Atlanta in 1972, CISA is an award-winning dropout prevention organization that is the largest of its kind in the country.