New York State Bar Association Honors Legal Aid Advocate With Prestigious Civil Rights Award
3.14.2025
The New York State Bar Association will honor civil legal services advocate Lillian M. Moy with its W. Haywood Burns Award in recognition of her decades of providing free legal representation to low-income people.
“Lillian Moy has made sure the most vulnerable in our communities have access to legal representation through her years of leadership,” said Domenick Napoletano, president of the New York State Bar Association. “In her career, she has been a steadfast advocate for equal access to justice – a goal we should all aspire to. We are thankful for all that she has done to advance this worthy cause, and we are blessed to recognize her with this high honor.”
The award ceremony will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 3 at the City University of New York School of Law Auditorium and Community Room, 2 Court Square West, New York City. Journalists interested in attending should contact Rebecca Melnitsky at rmelnitsky@nysba.org.
The award is named in honor of the legendary W. Haywood Burns, a civil rights advocate and legal luminary who worked with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and rose to prominence as New York state’s first African American law school dean.
Moy grew up in Queens, the daughter of a Chinese immigrant father. She graduated from Hunter College in 1974 and the Boston University School of Law in 1981.
Moy served as executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York for 27 years – from 1995 to 2022. In that time, she expanded its coverage area from six counties to 16 and increased its number of volunteers, its financial support, and range of services. She launched new projects that helped children with special needs, rural domestic violence victims, and people with limited English proficiency.
Moy has served many other organizations promoting civil legal aid including taking part in initiatives with the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association.
After retiring, Moy has continued to be active in movements for justice and equality. She co-chaired the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Racism, Social Equity and the Law and served on the Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Asian Hate.
