Senator Grisanti Receives 2013 Liberty Bell Award From Erie County Bar Association

Senator Mark Grisanti (R, I-60) will receive the prestigious 2013 Liberty Bell Award, the highest award that is bestowed at the Annual Law Day Luncheon of the Bar Association of Erie County.

The award, established in 1964, recognizes community service that has strengthened the American system of freedom under the law and acknowledges outstanding contributions to the effective functioning of our institutions of government.

The award will be presented Tuesday April 30 to Senator Grisanti at a luncheon held at Statler Towers in the City of Buffalo. Receiving the award in his absence (Session Day in Albany) is his Father, Richard Grisanti, who has been practicing law for over 50 years.

"I am honored and quite humbled to receive such a prestigious honor," says Senator Grisanti. "I feel my willingness to cross party lines and work with legislators from various backgrounds has allowed me to do what is best for my constituents. I am proud to represent and serve my community and all the skills that I have learned as an attorney I have used in Albany to fight for Western New York and bring back every possible resource for our region. I will and have always put people first and not politics since I have been elected to public office and I will continue to do so."

According to Kathleen Sweet, president of the Bar Association of Erie County, Senator Grisanti has "not shied away from taking positions in the face of criticism" and that he was selected to receive the award because of his "strength of conviction and independent deliberation on matters important to our region."

Senator Grisanti was born and raised in Buffalo and is the youngest of six children. He graduated from Sweet Home High School and Canisius College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. After finishing his undergraduate degree he went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. During law school he was a member of the Student Bar Association, received numerous certificates and book awards, and was a member of the Entertainment Committee for the Bar Association and the Italian Law Society.

Since graduating law school, Senator Grisanti has worked at his father's law firm, which his grandfather founded in 1921. As a third generation attorney, he has now worked at his family's practice for over two decades. He has distinguished himself as an attorney who stands up for those who are unable to help themselves.