Media Contact: Caitlan McCafferty, 215-340-0480 | caitlan@furiarubel.com
National LGBT Bar Association recognizes Nellie Fitzpatrick as a leading advocate for justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBTQ+ community
PHILADELPHIA (September 2019) – Personal injury law firm Laffey, Bucci & Kent is proud to announce that attorney H. Nellie Fitzpatrick has been named among the 40 Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 nationwide by the National LGBT Bar Association.
The annual award honors LGBTQ+ legal professionals under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves and have demonstrated a commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. Awardees were recognized at the organization’s Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair in Philadelphia on Aug. 9.
Fitzpatrick focuses her law practice on helping victims of crime navigate the civil justice system, and she has dedicated her career to advancing the legal rights of the LGBT community. Before joining Laffey, Bucci & Kent in private practice, she served for more than six years as an assistant district attorney for the City of Philadelphia. In addition to her responsibilities as a prosecutor, Fitzpatrick served as the LGBTQ Liaison to the District Attorney’s Office for the last 3 years of her time in the prosecutor’s office.
In 2015, Mayor M
ichael A. Nutter appointed Fitzpatrick to serve as director of LGBTQ Affairs for the City of Philadelphia. She worked with government officials, departments and agencies at the federal, state and local level to further develop government systems that recognize and protect underserved and often marginalized populations. She was able to help drive meaningful change within systems that regularly failed to serve and protect these communities.
Fitzpatrick has worked closely with the Philadelphia Police Department to strengthen ties between police and the LGBTQ community by fostering mutual respect and understanding. She was instrumental in the development of the first Philadelphia Police Department Directive that provides guidelines for appropriate police interactions with transgender individuals, including in media accounts. The directive was the first of its kind in Philadelphia and in the United States and represents a significant step forward in the relationship between the police department and the transgender community.
Fitzpatrick holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Florida and earned her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law. She lives in Philadelphia.
Laffey, Bucci & Kent, LLP is a personal injury law firm representing individuals seriously injured due to the negligence of others. The firm represents people who have been catastrophically injured in construction accidents and at work, in auto accidents and as a result of defective products. The Philadelphia lawyers also have a long history of representing sexual assault, sexual abuse and crime victims in civil actions. For more information, go to http://www.laffeybuccikent.com.