Ellen Freyman to be Feted at Conference for Community and Justice

SPRINGFIELD — Each year, the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) honors members of the community who demonstrate leadership qualities and exemplify the core values and mission of the organization. On Thursday, June 8, Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., will be recognized for her significant contributions to the local community at the annual Human Relations Award Banquet beginning at 6 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

NCCJ was founded in 1927 in response to religious divides in the country at the time. The goal of the organization and its prominent founders — including social activist Jane Addams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes — was to bring together diverse populations to combat social injustice, a mission perpetuated to this day.

Freyman concentrates her practice in all aspects of commercial real estate: acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing. She has an extensive land-use practice that includes zoning, subdivision, project permitting, and environmental matters. She is a graduate of the Western New England University School of Law (1988) and Pennsylvania State University (1977).

One of the most highly awarded attorneys within the Pioneer Valley, she has been recognized or awarded by BusinessWest magazine (Difference Maker, 2010), the Professional Women’s Chamber (Woman of the Year, 2012); Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts (Pynchon Award, 2012); Springfield Leadership Institute (Community Service Award, 2011); Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Top Women of Law Award, 2010); and Reminder Publications (Hometown Hero Award, 2010).