ABA to honor Rebecca Rapp for pro bono work

The American Bar Association is honoring Rebecca Rapp, general counsel for Ascendium Education Group in Madison, for her pro bono work.

The ABA announced on Thursday that Rapp is a 2021 Pro Bono Publico Award winner. The award recognizes individual lawyers’ and firms’ outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for people who are low-income and disadvantaged.

Rapp is the general counsel and chief privacy officer at Ascendium, a nonprofit committed to improving access to education and employment for vulnerable cohorts. The ABA said Rapp is known for using technology and innovation to increase the reach of pro bono and is involved with a project to provide legal help to technical colleges around Wisconsin, including in rural areas that are considered legal deserts due to their lack of attorneys.

She has also testified before the Wisconsin Supreme Court to remove limitations on pro bono services, along with directly assisting clients at legal clinics and serving on committees or boards of several access-to-justice organizations.

The ABA described her career as inspiring others to provide pro bono services.

She’ll receive recognition during the Pro Bono Publico Awards presentation on Aug. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Other receipents of the 2021 awards are Cynthia Chandler, director of the Bay Area Legal Incubator in Oakland, Calif.; TerryAnn Howell, an attorney at Nelson Mullins in Miami; Neal Manne, managing partner of Susman Godfrey in Houston; and the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. Follow @WLJReporter