Law Society’s pro bono event is postponed
A Law Society event that was due to be held later this month to mark Pro Bono Week has been postponed after the tragic death of the keynote speaker, US death-row exoneree Sunny Jacobs.
She was named yesterday (3 June) as one of the victims of a house fire in Connemara, Co Galway.
The Law Society has expressed its deepest condolences to her family, friends, and those she worked closely with at Amicus ALJ.
Before moving to Ireland, Jacobs, who was founder and president of The Sunny Center Foundation USA, was wrongly convicted of the shooting of two police officers and spent a total of 17 years in prison before her conviction was overturned.
Quashed
Set up by Jacobs and her late husband Peter Pringle, who spent almost 15 years in prison before his murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal, the foundation is a non-profit organisation that helps people who have been wrongfully convicted.
Jacobs had been due to speak about the impact of pro bono support on her life at the Law Society event in Blackhall Place on Thursday 12 June.
Together with Arthur Cox and Amicus, the Law Society has decided to postpone the event, but it remains committed to highlighting the impact pro bono work can have for people and for communities all over the world, and will work to reschedule the event later in the year.