Page 22 - 2022 OAD First Monday Journal

REMEMBERING AN UNWAVERING CHAMPION

ROY REARDON

1929 - 2022

Roy Reardon, an outstanding trial and appellate attorney and leader of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for
more than six decades, was a founding member of the OAD Board of Directors. He went on to serve on
the Board for 31 years.

In the early years, Roy used his considerable influence and presence in the New York bar to help OAD
develop and maintain relationships. He arranged meetings with the Presiding Justices and Clerk of the
Appellate Division. When OAD was facing potential defunding, Roy stepped in to facilitate important
conversations with the New York City Corporation Counsel and the City Council. OAD’s standing in the
legal community today as one of New York City’s oldest providers of appellate representation to indigent
individuals convicted of felonies and a leader in holistic representation rests, in large part, on Roy’s
shoulders.

Roy fiercely supported OAD’s Volunteer Appellate Defender (VAD) program, where associates in
sponsoring law firms, including Simpson Thacher, have the opportunity to represent a client in a criminal
appeal under the tutelage of an OAD supervising attorney. His work and dedication to OAD’s mission
was not always in the background. He was a champion of bringing powerful representation in the courts
to those who did not have access to financial resources.

Roy helped create the First Monday in October Gala & Mock Supreme Court Argument, and for decades
he led the charge as the event’s Honorary Co-Chair, working tirelessly to make the event successful. First
Monday in October continues to a be a unique, go-to event for members of New York’s legal and judicial
community and beyond, raising critical funds for OAD’s holistic, client-centered services.

Roy Reardon was an invaluable member of the OAD community, and his contributions continue to
bear fruit. In his honor, OAD renamed its VAD program the Roy Reardon Volunteer Appellate Defender
Program. Learn more about this important program on the following page.
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