Father-and-Son Law Team Opened 55 Cases in 2009

Melvyn Jacoby and his son Richard, Partners of The Law Offices of Jacoby & Jacoby, were named Pro Bono Attorneys of the Month for the month of February by The Suffolk County Pro Bono Project (PBP). They received the honor for going above the pledge of handling two cases a month for the Pro Bono Project.

Since 1996, Melvyn and Richard Jacoby pledged to handle two pro bono bankruptcy cases a month. Last year, they opened 55 pro bono cases. Their clients were either referred to them by participants in the PBP’s Bankruptcy Clinic, or they came directly to the office. Since September 2004, Melvyn Jacoby spent 200 hours on PBP cases and Richard spent 373 hours.

This is the third time they have received this honor. Melvyn was first named Pro Bono Attorney of the Month in March 1977. Both Melvyn and Richard received the honor in September 2004.

“We are very pleased to receive this prestigious honor,” Melvyn said. “Many of the clients that we saw had homes that were in foreclosure or facing foreclosure or were unemployed and unable to find another job. We are very glad to offer our services free of charge to those facing difficult times. We are proud to be associated with the Pro Bono Project.”

Melvyn graduated from Adelphi College with a major in business administration and, in 1962, received his L.L.B. from Brooklyn Law School. Upon receiving his law degree, he immediately went into private practice in Suffolk County.

Richard graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with a major in finance and accounting in 1987. In 1993, he received his J.D. from the Southwestern University School of Law. He worked briefly as a clerk in the United States Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas before joining his father’s firm in 1994.

Both men are members of the Suffolk County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Richard is also a member of the National Consumer Bankruptcy Association. As part of their community involvement, they also support local charities including Hope House Ministries of Port Jefferson, which honored Melvyn at its annual endowment dinner on March 11.

“We would like to thank The Pro Bono Association for this honor,” Richard said. “There are a lot of people here in Suffolk County who are struggling to support themselves and their families. Many need to file bankruptcy but are unable to pay the legal costs associated with it. Our firm is willing to help those in need.”

For more information, call Jacoby & Jacoby at (631) 289-4600.