BOSTON—Legal services nonprofit Lawyers Clearinghouse has selected Susan Gedrick, the current Director of Development and the Access to Justice Fellows Program, as its next executive director. Gedrick will succeed Maribeth Perry, who is retiring at the end of August after nearly 25 years leading the organization.
Gedrick first joined the Clearinghouse—a Boston-based nonprofit that engages attorneys in pro bono service on behalf of nonprofits and homeless and low-income people and families—in 2017, when she took over management of its Access to Justice Fellows Program, which connects senior and retired attorneys and judges with pro bono volunteer opportunities. Since 2018 she has also directed and expanded the organization’s development efforts, including spearheading the creation of a new giving program.
“Susan is a positive and energetic leader. Her warmth, collegial style, practical approach to problem solving, and passion for leveraging the legal community to help people who are homeless and the nonprofits who serve them have earned Susan the esteem of the Clearinghouse’s volunteers, staff, board, and donors,” said Clearinghouse Board President Elizabeth Lintz. “The board is excited to work with Susan as our new executive director and confident that the Clearinghouse will be well positioned under her guidance to thrive in the years to come.”
Prior to joining the Clearinghouse, Gedrick managed nonprofit programs for seven years as the Summer Institute Director at Grab the Torch and Director of Special Programs at Teen Ink. She was formerly an associate at the law firm of Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, and also spent several years teaching and volunteering in private and public schools.
“I appreciate the board’s confidence in me, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to lead such a great organization. The Clearinghouse is resilient and I know we can move forward and continue to provide the excellent pro bono services and programs our homeless and nonprofit clients deserve,” Gedrick said. “I’m especially grateful to Maribeth for her guidance. The Clearinghouse is strong today because of her tireless work over the past two decades.”
As executive director, Gedrick will work closely with staff and the Clearinghouse board to ensure the organization can continue to adapt to serve people and nonprofits through the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and beyond. One of her first acts as director will be to oversee the Clearinghouse’s upcoming Annual Meeting on September 24—its biggest event of the year. She will also oversee the continued expansion of the Clearinghouse’s new CORI Sealing Clinic and other programs.
About Lawyers Clearinghouse
The Lawyers Clearinghouse was founded in 1988 by the Boston Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association to connect nonprofit organizations working to promote affordable housing and alleviate homelessness with pro bono legal assistance provided by volunteer attorneys. Since then, the Clearinghouse has expanded the scope of its services to include educational workshops for nonprofits and lawyers, legal clinics for the homeless at shelters in the Boston area, a CORI sealing and expungement program, and the Access to Justice Fellows Program to engage retired lawyers and judges in pro bono pursuits. Learn more at www.lawyersclearinghouse.org.
