BK Katzmann Receives Philadelphia Bar Association Public Service Award

BK Katzmann, a lawyer in Ballard Spahr’s national Finance Department, has received the Public Service Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Large Firm Management Committee in honor of “extraordinary” pro bono and public service efforts to address challenges faced by individuals and communities in need.

The Public Service Award honors a lawyer with five years or less in practice who has “made a difference in Philadelphia” through accomplishments in pro bono representation and public service for organizations. The award was presented to Katzmann at an event July 11.

In just two years of practice after earning their law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law, Katzmann has demonstrated a vision for serving the LGBTQIA+ community in Philadelphia and beyond. The heart of Katzmann’s pro bono practice is advocating for individuals who are changing their names to match their gender identities. In less than a year, Katzmann represented seven individuals filing name change petitions. Katzmann has also provided support and mentorship for other lawyers handling name change matters, from legal interns to the most senior attorneys.

“We couldn’t be more proud of BK and the positive impact they are making for individuals and the community—in just two years of practice,” said Ballard Spahr Pro Bono Counsel Lisa Swaminathan. “BK exemplifies what good pro bono lawyering should be: empowering clients and inspiring their colleagues to serve too.”

Katzmann helped steward an amicus brief, along with co-counsel the Mazzoni Center, elevating the voices of transgender Pennsylvanians affected by barriers to legal name changes, to educate the Pennsylvania Superior Court on the harms transgender people face when they cannot obtain identification documents that match their chosen name and gender.

Katzmann has also represented community organizations with nonprofit incorporation and applications for tax-exempt status and supported a client to clear legal title to her home, which her parents had purchased in the 1940s.

Katzmann is a strong voice encouraging other lawyers to engage in pro bono. Katzmann has recruited colleagues at Ballard to handle name change matters, co-led name-change trainings for the broader legal community, and supervised summer associates working directly with transgender and non-binary clients in name change representations. 

In addition, Katzmann is one of the organizers of the Philadelphia Name Change Project, a group of attorney volunteers who help low-income trans and nonbinary Philadelphians access legal name change services, train volunteer attorneys on the legal name change process, and partner with other community organizations to expand access to representation.

Through the firm’s nationally recognized pro bono program, Ballard Spahr lawyers contribute more than 50,000 hours annually to pro bono service, ensuring that clients have a voice and a legal advocate regardless of their ability to pay.

For media inquiries, please contact Bill Shralow at 215.864.8195.