Swords to Plowshares is so excited to see many of our most loyal and generous supporters in person this year!
We hope you will join us for a very special Veterans Day Concert and Reception on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 from 5-7:30pm.
We invite our top sponsors and VIP guests to join us for music, food, wine and festivities. We will host this special reception at our beautiful brand-new housing site in Mission Bay which offers a lovely open-air reception space adjacent to our gorgeous courtyard.
We are pleased to have our Title Sponsor, Wells Fargo, join us in celebration and to honor veterans who have turned their lives around. Additionally, we look forward to honoring Seyfarth Shaw LLP with the Pro Bono Partner of the Year Award for their dedication to serving veterans and restoring justice for those who served.
The mini-concert will feature music from violinist Master Gunnery Sgt. Peter Wilson, USMC, Ret., and pianist and California National Guard veteran Paul Schrage. MGySgt. Wilson joined "The President's Own” United States Marine Chamber Orchestra in 1990 and recently retired after 30 years of honorable and dedicated service to our country. Mr. Schrage is Music Director of Symphonia Caritas and the Midsummer Mozart Festival. During his time in the National Guard he was activated twice and served 3 years on active duty.
This year’s Profile of Courage recipient, Stephan Steffanides, joined the Navy at 18, serving from 1989 to 1993. Stephan comes from a long line of sailors – they have a family member who has served in every major U.S. conflict since the Spanish-American War. Following their footsteps, Stephan joined the Navy with pride for his country and the pursuit of service. While in the Navy, Stephan unfortunately experienced discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and ultimately was discharged “other than honorably.” The mistreatment and trauma Stephan experienced while in service pushed them into substance abuse and homelessness for many years.
Stephan connected with Swords to Plowshares in 2016 and received help in finding a place to live, accessing healthcare and counseling, and ultimately getting his discharge status updated. Now sober and thriving, Stephan has found themself giving back to their veteran community in the Bay Area. They are involved with the American Legion post 448 – the only LGBTQ+ post in the country – where they are spearheading an archival project to preserve the histories of LGBTQ+ veterans.
As a member of the legal community, we at Seyfarth understand that we have a special responsibility to use the skills of our lawyers and staff to provide access to justice for those who could not otherwise afford it. We encourage all of our lawyers to devote time to pro bono legal work and we make a concerted effort to help them find pro bono projects that not only reflect their own unique values, interests, and personal styles, but also help address the unmet legal needs in our communities.
All Seyfarth attorneys, regardless of level, are encouraged to devote a portion of their time and professional services to pro bono matters. As a best practice, we encourage each attorney to devote an amount equal to at least 3% of his or her billable hours per year to pro bono work.
Since 2016, approximately 50 lawyers from Seyfarth have been involved with Swords to Plowshares’ Veterans Pro Bono Program by taking on individual veterans’ cases, staffing legal clinics, creating self-help guides, and serving on the pro bono advisory board.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT