(Philadelphia) – Deputy City Solicitor Joanna Klein has won the International Municipal Lawyers Association’s Daniel J. Curtin Young Public Lawyer Award. This honor goes annually to a young municipal lawyer who has provided outstanding service to the public, possesses an exemplary reputation in the legal community, and maintains the highest of ethical standards.
Klein serves as Deputy City Solicitor in the Department’s Code Enforcement Unit, which represents the City of Philadelphia in matters that directly protect the lives, health, and safety of Philadelphia’s citizens and visitors and regularly appears in court on behalf of the Department of Licenses and Inspections and Health Department.
“While Joanna often humbly states that she is ‘just doing her job,’ those who are familiar with her know that she is a thoughtful, hardworking, and dedicated public servant to whom all attorneys and public servants should aspire to become,” said City Solicitor Sozi Tulante. “Joanna is a consummate professional who consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty in working for the betterment of the resident of Philadelphia.”
Klein, who first came to the Law Department as a fellow in 2009, is a tireless advocate for the City. She routinely uses her exemplary legal skills to bring real change to the lives of the citizens of Philadelphia as she handles some of the most factually and legally complex cases in the Code Enforcement Unit. And despite a heavy caseload, Joanna also serves as a trusted mentor to the newest attorneys and support staff in the Code Enforcement Unit.
“I am honored to be the recipient of the Daniel J. Curtin Young Public Lawyer Award,” said Klein. “It is especially meaningful to me to have been nominated for this award by the people I work with. I am truly appreciative for all the opportunities the Law Department has given me and proud to serve the City of Philadelphia.
Licenses and Inspections Commissioner David Perri said the honor was well-deserved: “Joanna Klein’s advocacy and passion in rigorously pursuing code violations through the City Court system has inspired and validated the work of L&I fire code and construction inspectors.”
The IMLA’s annual awards program seeks to recognize local government lawyers whose work on behalf of their clients exemplifies the highest standard of public service. “The Daniel Curtin Award recognizes new lawyers, those with less than ten years’ experience, who have demonstrated an extraordinary quality of leadership, work ethic, collegiality and humility,” said IMLA Executive Director Chuck Thompson. “I am honored to have Joanna Klein among the ranks of local government lawyers and I know that the residents of Philadelphia are well served though her representation.”
The International Municipal Lawyer’s Association is a non-profit, professional organization based in the Washington D.C. area, that has been an advocate and valuable legal resource for local government attorneys since 1935