Galfand Berger is pleased to announce that the Berks County Bar Association (BCBA) selected attorney Gabriela Raful to receive the Presidential Award of Merit. BCBA selects award recipients based on their service and contributions to surrounding communities and the legal profession at-large.
The BCBA selected Gabby due her contribution and service to the community in Berks County and the legal profession. Gabby serves as Board of Directors of the BCBA. She also serves as the Chair of the Minority Law Section of the Bar Association since 2015. The section/committee’s purpose is to promote full and equal participation of minorities in the justice system in general and to identify issues minorities are facing within the judicial system and find solutions for the same. For example, under the role as Chair, Gabby drafted and passed Resolutions supporting immigrants, and has worked in educational seminars regarding a variety of legal issues.
While Gabby practices in the areas of Workers’ Compensation and personal injury, she represents pro bono, indigent individuals who cannot afford an attorney in immigration matters. Particularly, Gabby represents students in applications and renewals of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). As an immigrant herself, Gabby finds particular satisfaction in helping students find a pathway to legalization. Gabby has also contributed in the representation of individuals obtaining Permanent Residency, Citizenship and Asylum. Gabby also created a seminar and helped 31 individuals in Berks County creating caregiver designation forms, which allows immigrant parents to appoint alternative caregivers for emergencies.
Gabby also volunteers preparing wills and power of attorneys to individuals who cannot afford the services of an attorney. She also volunteers for the Legal Clinic for the Disabled in Philadelphia representing individuals in disability matters, free of charge.
Gabby volunteers for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOP) in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the State’s new Language Access Plan and to ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency have equals access to the courts and the judicial system. This not only includes English as a Second Language individuals, but also, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In 2015, Gabriela wrote a chapter for The ABA Medical-Legal Guides: Head Trauma and Brain Injury for Lawyers. This legal treatise details the law surrounding traumatic brain injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured at work, please contact our Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation lawyers. With offices located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Reading and Lancaster, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.