Photo Flash: Tony Winner Dick van Dyke Becomes an 'Honorary Lawyer'

Legendary entertainer Dick Van Dyke, who won a Tony Award for his role in Bye Bye Birdie, is now an "honorary lawyer." While he never played a lawyer in any of his major TV, film or Broadway roles, he is now among a prestigious group of lawyers and judges who make music together. Founder-Conductor Gary S. Greene, Esq., an attorney for more than four decades, awarded Van Dyke honorary membership in the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic at the orchestra's 8th Annual Concert Extraordinaire on Sunday, June 11, 2017 at UCLA Royce Hall.

On that same evening, the Tony Award-winning actor performed songs from Bye Bye Birdie, Where's Charlie? and Mary Poppins with the LA Lawyers Phil and its chorus, Legal Voices, to an endearing capacity house that showered their affection for the icon with standing ovations. Mary Poppins composer Richard M. Sherman was in the audience. The program also included show-stopping Broadway songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, A Little Night Music and Chicago. KFI radio host Bill Handel was MC. It was a benefit concert that raised funds for those who cannot afford legal services.

During the concert, one of America's finest trial attorneys, Thomas V. Girardi, Esq., was honored with the June Lockhart Humanitarian Award, dubbed the "Junie." The award has become an annual presentation by the LA Lawyers Philharmonic to an individual who has made significant contributions for the betterment of our world. It is named after June Lockhart, who is a Tony Award-winning actress, and a close friend of the orchestra. She is best known for her portrayal of Timmy's mom in Lassie and Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space.

The concert and a post-concert gala dinner were benefits. Half (50%) of the concert and dinner ticket price was a donation to the LA Lawyers Philharmonic, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. (A portion of the net concert ticket proceeds benefits the LA County Bar Association Counsel for Justice and the Beverly Hills Bar Association Foundation to help those who cannot afford legal services.)

For more information, visit www.LALawyersPhil.org.

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