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      This year’s Volunteer of the Year Award goes to Allan Witz.  Allan has been a member of the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board since 2016.  Prior to his appointment to the Board, Allan served as a member of the Third District Ethics Committee for three years.  Before emigrating to the U.S. in 2001, Allan practiced law in South Africa.  His principal practice areas are business law, estate planning, and immigration law.

Allan was nominated and is receiving this award for his service as a member of the Board, in particular his service as Chair of the newly constituted Training, Education and Outreach Committee (formerly the DEC Committee).  As part of his work for the Committee, Allan has worked tirelessly to draft a Board training manual, to streamline and make more accessible the training provided to new Board members.  Allan’s drafting efforts not only reflect appropriate substance and procedure, but also incorporated plain language to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for all.  Allan applied plain language training not only to word choice, but also to the font used, headings, general organization, and readability.  This was a significant undertaking, in addition to all of the panel and appeals work that Board members perform.  Allan’s work will serve Board members and those interacting with the discipline system well into the future. 

Congratulations to Allan Witz, this year’s Volunteer of the Year, and thank you for your dedicated service to the Board, the DECs, and for your commitment to assisting others in the ethical practice of law.