Congratulations to 2012 Haywood Burns Award Recipient Bryan D. Hetherington, Esq.

January 3, 2012

The Haywood Burns Memorial Award is presented each year by the Committee on Civil Rights during the Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association in January. Nominees must be an individual, not necessarily a lawyer, who has contributed to New York State in a manner that reflects Dean Burns’ commitment to the struggle for justice and the qualities that made him an outstanding advocate for civil rights and the empowerment of the powerless.

The award is given to honor the late civil rights lawyer and academic, Dean W. Haywood Burns. From the age of 15 until his untimely death at age 55 while visiting South Africa, the former head of the City University of New York School of Law was active in seeking to expand the civil rights of all people. He was a builder of bridges rather than walls, actively involved in trying to extend connections to diverse groups within the community as a whole.

As Chief Counsel, Bryan is responsible for managing the legal work of Empire Justice. Bryan works in the Rochester office.

Most of his career has involved complex litigation and other non-litigation advocacy with regard to social services programs, education, housing and civil rights.

Bryan came to Rochester in 1980 to serve as Litigation Director of Monroe County Legal Assistance Center. He remained in that position until 1996 when he founded the Public Interest Law Office of Rochester. He became Chief Counsel of Empire Justice Center in 2004.

He serves on the boards of a number of not-for-profit health, affordable housing and community organizations. He served on the Advisory Committee to the State Commissioner of Social Services for 19 years. He is past chair of the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and is currently President of the Monroe County Bar Association.

He is a graduate of LaSalle College and the Cornell Law School.