Alumni Profiles

August 28, 2012

Attorney DiMare Wins Elizabeth Berg Streeter Award

Congratulations to Charles DiMare '74 (political science), MPA '83, director of the UMass Student Legal Services Office, who is the recipient of the prestigious Elizabeth Berg Streeter Community Service Award. Presented at the 35th annual National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) Conference in Burlington, Vermont in July, the award recognizes excellence in service to the legal community, social justice, and equality.

DiMare has been at the helm of the UMass Student Legal Services Office since 1980, having started off there the previous year as a staff attorney. He serves on several University and state-wide policy committees, including most recently, election to the UMass Amherst Alumni Association Board of Directors. He is an adjunct professor on campus, teaches courses in higher education law, and was a visiting professor at the Vermont Law School and Northeastern University graduate criminal justice program, teaching courses in law enforcement, civil liability, and policy development. Last May he was invited to lecture at Beihang University School of Law in Beijing, China where he gave presentations on student legal services and providing legal assistance to those in need.

Known for his ability to focus on detail, DiMare was responsible for creating an intricate analysis of the University of Michigan peer review process. The program gained positive recognition from the administration and additional funding from students.

DiMare is a frequent contributor and lecturer at NLADA national conferences. Whenever there is a need for a program he volunteers. Most recently he oversaw a committee of student legal services attorneys in developing standards of practice for SLS offices to be approved by the Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).

“I’m honored and particularly thankful to my current staff at the Student Legal Services Office as well as all the exceptional staff members who have assisted me over the years,” DiMare says. “I’m also grateful to many members of the UMass Amherst administration, students, faculty and staff and the NLADA/Student Legal Services Network. I would not have received this award without the help and support of many people.”