Paul H. Tobias Tribute

Leah A. Hofkin

Paul Tobias truly was a force for good. I’m so grateful to have known him and to be a part of our special NELA/Institute community. Paul was incredibly generous with his praise and attention. Everytime he saw me he would say, “I gave at the office,” with a huge smile on his face. He’d then tell me that I was doing a great job. I always felt happy after every interaction I had with Paul; he inspired goodness in others, including me.

One of my jobs is raising funds for The Institute’s Paul H. Tobias (PHT) Attorney Fellowship Program, which has given me a deep investment in making sure we continue Paul’s extraordinary legacy. Every year, I looked forward to watching Paul interact with our PHT Fellows. Embarking on a legal career, particularly one focused on representing workers, is challenging. It seemed like a gift to these new attorneys to have a Paul as a model of what lawyers can accomplish for ordinary people and for justice in the workplace.