Recognizing and acknowledging George D. Gould, Esq., winner of the 2014 Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award, for his achievements over more than four decades of work in the field of public interest law.
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WHEREAS, George D. Gould is the Managing Attorney of the Housing & Energy Units at Community Legal Services, which he joined in 1970 as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow. The Housing Unit provides representation in housing cases, including landlord/tenant and public housing, while the Energy Unit provides representation as the Public Advocate before the Philadelphia Gas Commission and provides assistance in energy cases. He has been involved in numerous state and federal class action litigation and legislative efforts involving mortgage foreclosure prevention, public housing, landlord/tenant law and childhood lead poisoning; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gould currently serves as member of the Landlord Tenant Subcommittee of the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission, the Pennsylvania Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Workgroup, the Lead Primary Prevention Task Force and is a former member of the National Lead Task Group of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the National Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction and Financing Task Force created by Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992. He also serves on the board of Regional Housing Legal Services and is a faculty member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, where he teaches courses and develops written material on landlord/tenant law. He is also a frequent lecturer on housing law topics at national and statewide events for legal services programs; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the 2014 Bar Foundation Award, Mr. Gould received the National Housing Law Project’s David Bryson Award in 2011, was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in 2009, and received the 2001 Striving Toward Excellence Award from Pennsylvania Legal Services. He has also received numerous awards from community organizations for his work in housing, and he is a contributing author of “Mortgage Foreclosure” in Pennsylvania Consumer Law; and
WHEREAS George Gould is a teacher, mentor and inspiration to younger advocates, an excellent manager and leader, and most importantly, a brilliant advocate on behalf of thousands of vulnerable low-income persons across the country facing housing concerns. Now in his 45th year at CLS, he has steadily gained a local, statewide and national reputation as an intelligent, creative and strategic housing lawyer, providing leadership nationally for legal services housing practitioners; and
WHEREAS, George’s lifelong dedication to serving, protecting and advocating for those most in need, promoting equal access to justice, and influencing local and national policy are equaled by few, if any; and
WHEREAS, George has applied the same sense of passion and dedication to his personal, family and community lives, whether it was coaching his son Peter’s baseball and soccer teams, running a hot dog concession at the annual Fitler Square Fair, or successfully completing marathons in Boston, New York City and elsewhere; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we recognize and acknowledge George D. Gould, Esq., winner of the 2014 Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award, for his achievements over more than four decades of work in the field of public interest law.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to George Gould, as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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