Legal Services NYC Welcomes New Board Chair, William T. Russell, Jr.

New York, NY – Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) is proud to announce that William T. Russell, Jr., Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, has just been selected to serve as the new Board Chair of Legal Services NYC, the nation’s largest provider of free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers.

Mr. Russell, who previously served as both Vice Chair of LSNYC’s Board and Board Chair of LSNYC’s Manhattan Legal Services, succeeds Susan J. Kohlmann, Managing Partner of Jenner & Block’s New York office, who served in the role since 2017. Ms. Kohlmann will continue to serve as a board member at LSNYC.

“Legal Services NYC is thrilled to welcome Bill Russell as our new Board Chair and we are eternally grateful to Susan Kohlmann for her wise and dedicated leadership over the past three and half years. The organization has grown considerably under her stewardship and we couldn’t be more thankful for her counsel and support,” said Raun Rasmussen, Executive Director of Legal Services NYC. “We have also had the pleasure of getting to know Bill over the last few years and greatly value his dedication to public service. We have no doubt that he will provide smart and steady leadership for LSNYC during these challenging times.”

“I am honored to serve as chair of Legal Services NYC’s board and to help support the organization’s fight for justice on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said William T. Russell, Jr., LSNYC’s new board chair and Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. “Working alongside Legal Services NYC staff on pro bono matters and serving on the boards of both Manhattan Legal Services and Legal Services NYC has enabled me to witness firsthand the hard work and dedication of the Legal Services NYC staff and the importance of the work they perform for New Yorkers who are unable to afford legal representation.”

Bill Russell is a Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in the Firm’s Litigation Department. He represents clients in a wide variety of commercial disputes including bankruptcy and reorganization matters, banking litigation, securities litigation, and contractual and transactional disputes, and has tried cases in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitral proceedings. He also maintains an active pro bono practice and served as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee for almost 10 years.

In addition, Mr. Russell serves on the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association and is a member of the American Law Institute. He served as a Panel Chair on the Disciplinary Committee for the First Judicial Department and regularly co-authors a column on the New York Court of Appeals for the New York Law Journal.

“I have had the good fortune to partner with Bill in leading the LSNYC board over the last several years and I am delighted that he is stepping into the chair role,” said Susan Kohlmann, former chair and Managing Partner of Jenner & Block’s New York office. “With Bill’s strong leadership skills and dedication to LSNYC’s mission, I know that LSNYC will be well-positioned to continue to fight for racial, social and economic justice for New Yorkers in need not only in these difficult times but also in the years ahead. Congratulations, Bill!”

“As Manhattan Legal Service’s first ever board chair who served during a restructure, Bill’s vision and expertise were essential in helping us smoothly navigate the transition,” said Peggy Earisman, Project Director of Manhattan Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC. “He played a critical role in establishing a long-term pro bono relationship with Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP and created a successful pro bono model which is now replicated by other firms. We welcome Bill in this new role and look forward to his continued leadership and dedication to improving the lives of low-income New Yorkers.”

Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For more than 50 years, LSNYC has challenged systemic injustices that keep people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of almost 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps over 110,000 New Yorkers annually. LSNYC partners with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, law schools, public agencies, pro bono lawyers and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. LSNYC’s work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for low-income New Yorkers who, now more than ever, need free legal help.
 
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