Sylvia Ho is one of four attorneys who will receive The Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award at the Connecticut Bar Association’s annual awards celebration, Celebrate with the Stars, on Wednesday, May 3.
Attorney Ho operates as a solo business litigator and transactional attorney in Farmington under the Law Offices of Sylvia Ho LLC. She graduated from Boston College Law School in 1987 and was first admitted to practice in Connecticut in 1990. Attorney Ho has participated in pro bono work every year since becoming a lawyer. Since 2014, she has actively participated in Statewide Legal Services pro bono programs, counseling indigent clients and also representing them in court. She also regularly volunteers for the CBA’s virtual Free Legal Advice Clinics and serves on the advisory board to the Connecticut legislature’s Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity.
Attorney Ho first found her passion for zealous advocacy while representing indigent clients as a law student at Boston College Law School’s legal assistance bureau. The case that sparked her interest was an imminent eviction that would have left a family with young children homeless. The family’s landlord had failed to comply with lead paint laws and was unwilling to spend money to remediate the issue. There were no legal mechanisms that could force the landlord to continue renting to the family and comply with the lead paint laws. By researching regulations and talking to the property inspector, Attorney Ho came up with the idea to board up the lead paint, covering it with a required height of material acceptable under the state regulations. She actively participated in hammering in the wooden boards at the property that successfully prevented the family’s eviction.
This formative experience shaped Attorney Ho’s thinking, teaching her to solve legal problems creatively. She learned that lawyers could have a positive impact on people’s lives and the importance of legal advocacy for the indigent. While in law school, she co-founded the student-led Boston College Law School Public Interest Law Foundation (BCPILF). Today, BCPILF still raises funds for summer stipends for students serving the public interest. Many of these summer stipend recipients have gone on to engage in regular pro bono service or work in public interest legal jobs.
The Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award recognizes CBA members who demonstrated dedication to the provision of legal services without expectation of payment to those in need. He is one of four attorneys receiving the award this year.
View the complete list of this year's Celebrate with the Stars awardees.
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