RHLS Awards

RHLS takes pride in a history of excellence. Year after year, our organization and its staff members have achieved awards recognizing outstanding achievements in the areas of legal expertise, affordable housing, and economic and community development.

2010

• Bob Damewood, RHLS Staff Attorney, is being honored with a 2010 Beacon of Hope Award by the Hill House Association.

• Mark Schwartz, RHLS Executive Director, Bridget Coyne, staff attorney, and Carol A. Gershon, pro bono attorney, received an Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) for their work on the Wood Street Commons preservation project in Pittsburgh. The video below is courtesy of PLAN.

2009

• RHLS Board Member Ronell Guy and RHLS Staff Attorney Bob Damewood received the Advocacy Award from the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania for piloting an innovative financing model that gives Section 8 tenants a stake in the future of their homes.
• Rachel Blake received the 2009 TFIP Volunteer of the Year Award from the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing for her work creating an early notification system for tenants residing in buildings in foreclosure.
• The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Award was granted to Kim Dolan

2008

• Judy Berkman received the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Public Interest Section’s 2008 Andrew Hamilton Award for distinguished public service advocacy.
• 2008 Donald W. Dowd Alumni Association Award for Public Service from the Villanova Law Alumni Association was granted to Mark Schwartz.
• The Philadelphia Bar Association Andrew Hamilton Award was granted to Judy Berkman for exemplary service in the public interest.

2007

• Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Award was granted to Harry Geller.
  
• Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Leadership Award was granted to Mark Schwartz.
  

2006

• Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Award was granted to Donald Marritz.

2005

• Philadelphia VIP Special Recognition Award was granted to Judy Berkman for work on establishing the Tangled Title Progarm and Philadelphia Law Works.
• Pro Bono award from the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Bar Leadership Initiative was granted to Rachel Blake for helping to start an anti-predatory lending clinic in Pittsburgh.

2004

• The Philadelphia Bar Association Real Property Section Good Deed Award for contributions to the community was granted to Mark Schwartz.

2003

• Philadelphia Association of Community Development Associations Award was granted to Mark Schwartz for contributions to the CDC industry.

2002

• Pennsylvania Bar Association Special Achievement was awarded to Donald Marritz.
  
• The Philadelphia Bar Association Andrew Hamilton Award was granted to Mark Schwartz for exemplary service in the public interest.
• Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Award was granted to Mark Levin.

1998

• Pennsylvania Bar Association Special Achievement was awarded to Donald Marritz.
• Philabundance Harvester Award for fighting hunger was granted to Mark Schwartz.

1996

• Pennsylvania Legal Services for outstanding leadership in support of legal services was granted to Mark Schwartz.

1994

• Pennsylvania Bar Association Special Achievement Award was granted to Judy Berkman for her work on a gender bias task force.

1989

• PEC Volunteer Award was granted to Mark Schwartz.

1987

• The Excellence in Community Development Award of The Pew Charitable Trusts was awarded to RHLS.

1982

• Certificate of National Merit from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development was granted to Mark Levin for work with Better Homes, Inc. for “successfully using the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program to generate an exemplary public / private partnership for the greater benefit of their community and serving as a worthy model for other communities.”