Legal clinic honors attorney Blake Roter

Blake Roter was named the 2026 Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year by JUF Evelyn R. Green Legal Services.

For as long as he can remember, Jewish community has been an important part of Blake Roter’s life.  

His great-grandparents were among the initial residents at Gidwitz Place for Assisted Living, his grandmother worked at CJE SeniorLife for many years, and Roter volunteered at The Ark and delivered meals for Moat Chitim as a child.  

When he learned about volunteer opportunities at JUF’s Evelyn R. Greene Legal Services Clinic, Roter says it was a natural fit. “Federation has always been important to me, so when I learned about the clinic, I volunteered because I wanted to provide pro bono in the Jewish community,” said Roter, a Partner at MacKay & Serritella, P.C. 

Over the past five years, Roter—recently named the 2026 Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year—has used his litigation experience to handle a variety of cases for clients. This past year, he successfully settled an employment discrimination case rooted in antisemitism, delivering meaningful justice to a client who might otherwise have gone unheard. 

“I was very humbled and honored to receive this recognition,” said Roter, who recently completed six years on the National Young Leadership Cabinet through the Jewish Federation of North America. “It’s a privilege to help people solve problems that they can’t solve on their own. It reminds me why I chose this profession. My pro bono cases are often the cases that I’m most proud of. It helps to see what people are going through in their everyday lives, which you don’t always see as a corporate lawyer.” 

“What distinguishes Blake is not just his legal acumen, which is noteworthy, but the compassion he brings to every case,” said Jessica Rhoades, Legal Liaison at JUF Evelyn R. Greene Legal Services. “He approaches each client with respect and empathy, ensuring that those most in need receive the same high-quality representation as any other. His professionalism is matched by a value to make this world more just, a belief he humbly puts into action.”